Terence Steele’s grip on the Dallas Cowboys’ right tackle job is suddenly a real storyline in camp, and not the kind anyone in Dallas wanted to be talking about in August.
The Texas Tech alum has gone from being the guy who seemed locked in on the right side to a veteran under pressure, with his play in training camp drawing plenty of attention for the wrong reasons. If the Cowboys had a stronger answer behind him, Steele may already be looking over his shoulder for a new role.
The alarm bells started ringing after the Aug. 11 joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, where Steele had a rough day against the pass rush. Even with Los Angeles holding out superstar defensive end Myles Garrett, Steele was still getting beat often enough that he became one of the practice’s biggest talking points.
A week later, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer made it clear the team wanted more.
"T-Steele's gotta play a little bit more consistent," Schottenheimer said in a video shared on X by Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
"He has had a couple days where he's been a little bit dropping his pads and getting edged a little bit. He needs to be better."
Since the preseason opener, Dallas has even shuffled all five players on the second-team offensive line, another sign the staff is searching for answers up front.
There is, however, one reason Steele still looks likely to keep the job for now: the Cowboys’ tackle depth is ugly. His backups have struggled badly in preseason action, and that has helped keep his starting spot intact, at least at this point.
That doesn’t mean Dallas is done looking. When roster cuts hit on Saturday, the Cowboys could still bring in another tackle to push Steele.
And if the team wants to make an early-season move, veteran options like 10-year pro Taylor Decker or Jonah Williams could enter the mix. Williams is especially notable because he previously played for Dallas offensive coordinator Clayton Adams when both were in Arizona.
The bigger concern is what happens if Steele’s issues carry over once the games count. He has not played in any preseason games, since Dallas usually keeps starters out of exhibition action, so the first real test will come when the season opens. If the struggles continue, a benching is on the table.
That would be a significant turn for a player whose NFL path has already been a success story. Steele went undrafted in 2020 and still carved out a major role in Dallas, starting 14 of 16 games as a rookie because injuries hit the Cowboys’ offensive line. He played well enough that he became the team’s permanent right tackle after that season.
Overall, Steele has started 91 of the 96 games he has played for Dallas and has earned over $50 million in his career.
But the picture has changed since he tore two ligaments in his knee late in the 2022 season. He returned and played every game in 2023, yet he still hasn’t looked quite like the same player he was before the injury.
He remains a strong run blocker, but pass protection has been the issue, and that’s where the concern has lingered. By some metrics, he has rated among the NFL’s weaker pass protectors, and that weakness has shown up again this summer.
Dallas expects to have one of the league’s best offenses, but the tackle spots remain the one obvious question hanging over the unit. For Steele, the challenge now is simple: settle things down in August before the pressure becomes much harder to ignore in September and beyond.
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Texas Tech Defense Has A Rising Voice Fans Shouldn't Overlook
Rob Greenes rise on the Texas Tech defensive staff is one of those offseason moves that says as much about stability as it does about promotion. After serving as the Red Raiders safeties coach, Greene was elevated to co-defensive coordinator, a move designed to keep him in Lubbock after interest from other FBS programs. His path through the profession, including stops at Wofford and Tulane, has helped make him a valued presence on a staff that has spent the offseason trying to build continuity on that side of the ball.
Head coach Joey McGuire and defensive coordinator Shiel Wood both made it clear Greene is more than just a title change. They have pointed to his coaching ability and his importance within the program, which is part of why this promotion carried so much weight internally. For a defense that is still carving out its identity under the current staff, keeping a rising voice like Greene in place could end up being one of the quieter but more important wins of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]