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 today with unrestricted free agent Miles Sanders.
How He Got Here
The Cowboys were looking for veteran help when they added Sanders on a one-year deal back on March 14, just three days after he was released by the Panthers for salary-cap reasons.
Sanders was brought in to compete with the likes of Javonte Williams and then two added draft picks (Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah). Sanders was only three years removed from a career-high 1,269 rushing yards and 11 TDs in 2022 with the Eagles. He went to Carolina and found himself in a running-back rotation, which is why the Cowboys figured he could have that same role in Dallas.
What He Did in 2025
Sanders played in the season opener in Philly, backing up Javonte Williams, who scored two touchdowns against the Eagles in the early going. Sanders also figured to contribute and broke away on a 49-yard run in the third quarter but was tackled from behind by Philly linebacker Zack Baun. Unfortunately for Sanders, not only did he not score on that play, but then fumbled the ball away later in the possession, wasting a golden chance for the Cowboys to score in an eventual 24-20 loss.
Sanders had just 16 carries and seven receptions over the next three games, playing sparingly behind Williams.
Eventually, he was placed on season-ending IR due to knee and ankle injuries.
Why He Could Stay
Not a likely scenario for the Cowboys, who saw a career-season from Williams and then re-signed him recently to a 3-year, $24 million contract.
The only way the Cowboys would likely bring back Sanders or a veteran back, would be later in the season or training camp if injuries pile up at the same position.
Sanders does provide versatility as a runner/receiver but has played just 15 combined games over the last two years.
Why He Could Leave
When teams sign veterans to a 1-year deal, it's always a "prove it" situation, regardless of the price. The Cowboys did the same with Williams, but he out-performed his expectations by leaps and bounds. For Sanders, that didn't happen and unfortunately, injuries ended his season early.
That being said, the Cowboys wouldn't likely revisit that situation again, especially with two youngsters such as Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue, alongside Malik Davis, that will likely compete for the backup reps.
