SEATTLE — For the first time since getting the call as the 11th-overall pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2026 NFL Draft, Caleb Downs suited up to take the field and put in some work — leading the initial charge in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
Downs participated in a very limited capacity, as expected, but he was able to get his feet wet at Lumen Field, and that matters as he finds his defensive timing at the pro level.
"Yeah, super excited," he said. "[It was a] really fun experience, and I'm excited to have more opportunities in the future."
The former Ohio State superstar logged a little more than a handful of reps, but his time will come when the Cowboys visit the New York Giants in the regular season opener at MetLife Stadium. Until then, the Cowboys must balance his value to the team with the need to make sure he's ready for Big Blue on Sept. 13.
Of course, and this goes without saying for such a hungry and competitive talent as Downs, he would like to remain on the field longer against the Arizona Cardinals in the second preseason outing.
"Yeah of course," he added.
The Dallas Cowboys win their first preseason game 17-7 against the Seattle Seahawks in Lumen Field.
That said, and especially with the full helping of reps he got in the joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams, along with the upcoming joint practice against the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday ahead of the aforementioned matchup against the Cardinals, Downs knows the Cowboys aren't going to let him overdo it before the games matter.
"Yeah, I understand now," he said. "I do what they tell me."
Rest assured, when the 2026 regular season gets underway in a few weeks from now, Downs will likely only be taken off of the field for hydration purposes.
At that point, no one will wonder about how many reps he didn't take against the Seahawks, Cardinals and in the preseason finale against the very Saints he'll practice against in three days from now.
What will matter most is he's healthy, and starving to get some real action; and the latter is an added benefit of holding him back in preseason games. A starved, but ready, Downs can only work in the Cowboys' favor going forward as he tries to chew a whole through opposing offenses in the regular season.
