Some think the Cowboys can't have three top defensive players making $20 million-plus next season. Jerry Jones thinks otherwise.
The Dallas Cowboys and the salary cap. Two of the most confusing and often misconstrued things in the NFL.
The Cowboys and their "salary-cap pie'' have often been the subject of much debate, and the front office (Jerry and Stephen Jones) have often been much-maligned for their approach to money and when and where to use it.
But lately, the Cowboys and Jerry have been getting compliments for the trades of Logan Wilson and Quinnen Williams, which have helped reshape Matt Eberflus' defense, as Kenny Clark (got in the Micah trade), and Osa Odighizuwa have fortified the defensive line.
And of course, adding George Pickens, Javonte Williams, Jadeveon Clowney and other veterans have been quite helpful as well.
However here is where fans are getting things wrong.
With Williams, Odighizuwa, and Clark all on the books in 2026 for at least $20 million APY, many fans/critics think the Cowboys "can't afford" to pay that trio, while also seeing a potential George Pickens extension (likely franchise-tagged in 2026).
Well, for those who think the Cowboys can't/won't keep that trio of $20 million APY defensive tackles together in 2026, think again.
"When you line those three up in there, and you've got them either in rotation or you've got them in there together, you really create a dominant feature to our team and the combination of all of them," Jerry said on 105.3 The Fan. "While someone asked, "Well, you're not going to be able to keep them all three." That's not right. We can, and we can build from that."
Ok, so Jerry says the Cowboys can.
But again, the devil is in the details, folks.
Jerry said Dallas "can," but can doesn't mean they will.
As with the Pickens extension, Dallas can sign him long-term, if it wants to, and there is a way the Cowboys could have $100 million in cap room for the 2026 season. Also, still with $21 million in cap space at the time of writing, if it remains unused, it will roll over into next season.
So don't take the bait, folks.
The Cowboys have the financial means to do everything the fan base wants. But again, it all comes down to whether the front office wants to.
And it appears having their three-star-studded defensive tackles on the books for 2026 is not only financially possible. ... it's part of the Jones plan to stay "selectively aggressive'' in roster-building.