Well, with the 2024 season now over we have no choice but to look ahead to the 2025 season.
A lot is going to happen over the next several months, including new coaches, players and, if we are lucky maybe a trade or two.
Just kidding, we know Jerry Jones won’t do anything to make the team better.
With all that said, the Dallas Cowboys have more than 20 players on expiring contracts, so I wanted to dive into some players who could be on the way out, and two of these names might surprise you, but in the overall context it makes sense.
I wouldn’t mind if one or two of the guys on this list somehow found a way back, but with how Jerry is and based on history, unless they take a huge pay cut and want to return, they might be gone.
The only thing saving two of these guys is the loyalty Jerry Jones has to guys that he drafted. He didn’t do it with Tyron Smith, so this is why I think two guys could be done with the Dallas Cowboys.
Brandin Cooks
I am starting with the guy who I think may just flat out retire. The Cowboys traded for Brandin Cooks in the offseason of 2023, and Cooks has been on the downward end of his really good career.
He had 657 receiving yards last season when the Cowboys’ offense was hitting on all fronts. This season a knee infection costed him most of the year, so he did not have a chance to play with either Dak Prescott or Cooper Rush.
This current offense needs a major upgrade behind CeeDee Lamb, and I don’t think Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo are it, yet that is what they will be banking on going forward.
Cooks will more than likely be moved on from by either retiring or landing with a new team who could use a WR no. 3.
DeMarcus Lawrence
Yes, I said it, DeMarcus Lawrence very well could be on his way out as a Dallas Cowboys.
Of course I don’t want it to happen, but he could have said his final goodbye with the team after being banged up this season, and without anything left on his current deal, it looks like it could happen.
Jerry did not rule out bringing back DLaw for the 2025 season, but we know the history here, he is cheap and won’t want to pay a penny more than what he wants.
They have a projected cap space of $25.65 million for 2025 that could go up to $45 million with rollover cap space. This, however, doesn’t include re-signing their own players.
The four-time Pro Bowler will likely demand a big contract despite the fact that he will be 33 before the next season. As his final big payday, he will presumably prioritize guaranteed salary over all else.
Zack Martin
It couldn’t be the final goodbye for a first ballot Hall of Famer, could it? Drafted over a decade ago just like Lawerence the Cowboys could very well move on from him, but it is more likely that he just retires.
Martin appeared in 10 games this season, playing 80-plus percent of snaps in all but one contest for Dallas. The decorated interior lineman and 2014 first-round pick entered 2024 with three straight first-team All-Pro selections.
At some point this team has to go younger, and although the only way they should move off Martin is if he retires, the offensive line was not that bad actually in the last handful of games.
The running attack got better, both Cooper Rush and Trey Lance had their struggles with pressure, but it could have been much worse.
We saw Dallas move off Tyron Smith a year ago, so I would not be surprised if they did not bring him back.