FRISCO, Texas — On March 9, the NFL's legal tampering period will begin for pending free agents.
The Cowboys will have their fair share of free agents on the roster, which of course they can agree to terms with and sign at any time before that period.
From unrestricted free agents to restricted and exclusive rights free agents, Dallas has a lot of decisions to make over the next month when it comes to how they want to construct their roster for 2026, and even beyond.
With that, we'll examine each pending free agent on the Cowboys' current roster, continuing with defensive back C.J. Goodwin.
How He Got Here
Believe it or not, but Goodwin is one of the longest-tenured players on the Cowboys' roster. No one can lay claim to having played in Dallas longer, save for someone like Dak Prescott, who arrived in 2016. That is one hell of a testament to his consistency, durability and ability to play his specific role at a high level. Goodwin was poached by the Cowboys from the Bengals practice squad in 2018, and the special teams ace has carved a role out for himself that makes it difficult for the team to let him go.
What He Did in 2025
The 2023 season notwithstanding, Goodwin has been a pinnacle of availability. In 2025, and for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, he took the field in every single regular season game, and for yet another special teams coordinator — the Cowboys having hired Nick Sorensen to replace John "Bones" Fassel. Though his numbers won't jump off of any stat sheet, Goodwin proved that, yet again, he's a staple for special teams.
Why He Could Stay
To put it plainly, the unit in Dallas needs him to stick around. It performed exceedingly poorly in many areas, the lone exception being field goal blocks, and that means Sorensen will be tasked with revamping all of the problematic pieces for 2026, but there's no need to throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. Goodwin, though being 36 years old, is still one of the best on special teams and playing in 80 percent of last year's special teams reps means he also doesn't need breathers often.
Why He Could Leave
Goodwin could leave only if either he's not offered a contract to return or he feels as if there's a better chance at a championship elsewhere. Fact is, there won't be too many more seasons he'll suit up in the NFL, and that means there will always be the thought of how to leave with a ring after so many years of service (he entered the league 12 years ago). But if the Cowboys do want to sign him again, a perennial thing, a this point, it's likely Goodwin will opt to stay put.
