Jayron Kearse signed with the Dallas Cowboys during 2021 free agency, providing the team with a quality starting safety. Kearse arrived in Dallas after spending the first five seasons of his career in Minnesota (2016-19) and Detroit (2020), finishing 2020 on Baltimore's practice squad. Originally drafted in the seventh round (244th overall) by Minnesota in 2016, Kearse battled and earned a starting safety spot with Dallas in 2021 and had his best season to date, leading the Dallas defense with a career-high 92 tackles and finished second with seven tackles for loss. He also had a pair of interceptions, a fumble recovery, 10 pressures and 10 breakups. Kearse impressed coaches enough to become the defensive signal caller for the second half of the season. He re-signed with Dallas through the 2023 season, and was a force for the defense in 2022, starting all 14 games played - missing three due to injury - and finishing third on the defense with 83 tackles, five tackles for loss, a career-high 2.0 sacks, five breakups, two fumble recoveries and an interception, all while acting as the defensive play caller for the defense.