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, starting with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
How He Got Here
Clowney was effectively a football mercenary in 2025. The longtime edge rusher opted to abstain from NFL training camps until he saw a situation he truly wanted to be a part of, and one that would compensate him respectfully for what he'd bring to the table, and the Cowboys became the answer to both of those questions when he put pen to paper in mid-September.
Signing a one-year deal shortly after the start of the season, it took a moment for Clowney to knock the offseason rust off, but it was immediately evident he could impact games once he got rolling and found a groove.
What He Did in 2025
What he did was, well, find the aforementioned groove, and in a big way. Before the season was all said-and-done, Clowney was the best pass rusher in the building, and not simply because others struggled mightily to consistently get to the opposing quarterback. Clowney had a very good season by any contextual measurement, and in multiple categories.
The 32-year-old notched a team-high in sacks (8.5), also this second-highest tally in the past four seasons, along with four pass break ups, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and 41 combined tackles that include 10 quarterback hits; and he did it all with only six (!!) starts in 13 games. Imagine if he'd been unleashed sooner by now-fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
Why He Could Stay
To put it plainly, re-read the previous sentence. Clowney continuously made it clear he'd be interested in re-signing with the Cowboys due to the brotherhood in the locker room, one he says is unlike any he's been a part of, and also that he'd prefer to sign early in the offseason to avoid missing the team's offseason conditioning program and training camp — all of this despite the franchise-worst defensive production under Eberflus.
With the arrival of Christian Parker and heralded, talented and fast-rising defensive minds in tow, it would make sense that Clowney potentially feels that much more excited about the possible turnaround in the works in Dallas on that side of the ball. And if things come together for the defense, finally, it could combine with a prolific offense to give Clowney one of the best chances he's ever had at landing a ring.
Why He Could Leave
There's no reason to play coy here. Clowney, again, is a football mercenary and, as such, the money has to be appealing for him or he'll probably hang up the phone. Sure, he adores the Cowboys' brotherhood, but that doesn't mean he's going to accept the veteran minimum, and especially after showing he's still one of the best in the league at his position.
There will be several teams vying for Clowney's services in 2026, that much is certain, and the Cowboys will simply need to make sure the offer is realistic to keep him in the building. Clowney isn't green to how free agency works. Quite the contrary, actually, seeing as he's one of the most experienced in the league at navigating it to get what and where he wants.
