Jerry Jones usually doesn’t go hunting for the kind of splash Dallas made when free agency opened in 2026. The Cowboys have long leaned toward short-term fixes, one-year reclamation bets, and the familiar dance of waiting too long on extensions until the price climbs. This time, though, they came out swinging.
Dallas landed Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers and then followed that up by giving safety Jalen Thompson a three-year, $33 million deal. The expectation is that Thompson steps in and helps Christian Parker’s defense right away.
Not everyone is sold on how that contract will age.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton pegged Thompson as the Cowboys’ biggest potential bust while ranking the top bust candidate for all 32 NFL teams, and his concern centered on Thompson’s lack of interceptions. Moton wrote, "Thompson hasn't recorded an interception since the 2023 campaign.
Though he's registered nine pass breakups in that time frame, the seven-year veteran also allowed passer ratings above 102. Thompson logged seven of his nine career interceptions in two seasons (2021 and 2023).
He lacks playmaking consistency and could be a free-agent disappointment."
That kind of critique fits the usual safety debate - the idea that impact has to show up in the turnover column - but Thompson isn’t built like a conventional back-end defender. He can line up at nickel corner, work inside the box, and still handle duties on the back end, giving Dallas a versatile piece rather than a one-note center fielder.
And for all the skepticism around the signing, the Cowboys clearly needed the help. Thompson’s arrival gives them another body who can contribute immediately, and that matters in a defense that needs reinforcements wherever it can get them.
Dallas also viewed Thompson as a leader, to the point that the team considered giving him the green dot before settling on DeMarvion Overshown.
A 2019 supplemental draft pick out of Washington State, Thompson has made 87 starts over seven seasons in Arizona. That kind of experience stands out, especially when compared with Donovan Wilson, and it gives Dallas a much better chance of getting value from the deal.
Thompson doesn’t need to solve every problem for the Cowboys. If he stays healthy, the early verdict on this move looks a lot less dramatic than the bust prediction suggests.
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