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 CB Reddy Steward.
How he got here
In late August, Steward was claimed off waivers by the Cowboys a day after the Vikings, who had signed him to a reserve/futures deal at the beginning of the year, decided to move on from him.
Prior to his time in Minnesota, Steward signed with the Chicago Bears and then head coach Matt Eberflus as an undrafted free agent. He reunited with Eberflus, who was Dallas' defensive coordinator in 2025, to give the Cowboys some more depth at corner, specifically in the nickel spot behind DaRon Bland.
What he did in 2025
Despite being a late add to the roster, Steward played in all 17 games for the Cowboys in 2025 and started in five. He collected 63 tackles, five tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in 496 defensive snaps.
With Bland at times playing on the outside and at times dealing with injury, Stewart gained an increased role in the defense as the year went along. In Week 8 on the road against the Broncos, the Cowboys were losing bodies at the safety position to injury, and Steward filled in at that spot as well.
Why he could stay
Throughout the season, Stewart proved that he was a reliable depth piece for the Cowboys at a multitude of positions. While it wasn't always great, Steward did what he was asked and was able to handle multiple responsibilities, plus is a willing tackler against the run.
In 2026, Bland will be coming off another surgery on his foot, which is concerning. Steward could be viewed as a valuable depth piece at the nickel corner spot for Dallas, who can also play on special teams and help in other areas of the secondary.
Why he could leave
With a new defensive coaching staff coming in led by new DC Christian Parker, it'll be up to him and his position coaches on the kinds of personnel that they want to keep on the roster, which means all the defensive players that are pending free agents could not be brought back if they don't fit the type of mold that Parker and company are searching for.
Additionally, if the Cowboys draft a corner in the first round, or at any point in the 2026 NFL Draft, could they be able to fill a role similar to Steward's? Say a smaller corner that could play in the slot and be versatile as well, like Clemson's Aveion Terrell. That could mean Steward doesn't have a spot and could hit the free agency market.
