In one of the most covered Cowboys offseasons in recent memory, one major contract is flying far under the radar. KaVontae Turpin, Dallas’ special-teams ace and emerging offensive weapon, signed a three-year, $18M extension in March.
If you’re thinking that’s a lot for a special teamer, you would be right. That deal made him the highest-paid special-teams player in NFL history.
Cowboys finalizing three-year, $18M deal with WR/RS KaVontae Turpin, making him the NFL’s highest-paid special teamer. (via @TomPelissero, @SlaterNFL) pic.twitter.com/dLM1tCwSwr
— NFL (@NFL) March 11, 2025
That description may be selling Turpin short, considering he set career highs in targets, receptions, and yards in 2024. With that in mind, it seems like a stretch to say Dallas is only paying him $18M to return kicks.
So, if the Cowboys do have bigger plans for him, as the 2024 statistics would suggest, where does he fit in?
After all, the offense is loaded up with the recently-acquired George Pickens, superstar CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and a strong tight end room.
With all of that in mind, let’s talk about Turpin’s role and why it could rise or deflate in 2025.
Moving On Up: KaVontae Turpin’s Next Step
Nobody is expecting KaVontae Turpin to outshine Lamb or Pickens, but he doesn’t need to.
Right now, he is listed as the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart behind Dallas’ two Pro Bowlers and Tolbert at WR3.
We can’t ignore the emergence Tolbert had in 2024, but it is safe to say Turpin is not far off from jumping him. As a more traditional wide receiver, Tolbert reached career highs in all the major categories, but that was helped out by an injury to Lamb.
Just as we saw some positives from Tolbert, he came with his downsides as well, including three drops, zero broken tackles, and just 3.4 yards after catch per reception.
In short, he wasn’t explosive in the Cowboys’ offense. He was really just a solid target.
Not sure how KaVontae Turpin stayed on his feet pic.twitter.com/AlR9pj3LMS
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 17, 2023
When we contrast that to Turpin, the numbers jump off the screen. The former USFL MVP had a team-high 8.4 YAC per reception, 13.5 total yards per reception, and, surprisingly, 2.1 yards after contact; that’s an impressive number for a 150-lb man.
Alongside 52 targets, Turpin also saw 16 carries on the ground for 92 rushing yards. He produced all over, and with so much attention on the top two guys, his explosiveness could sneak past defenses.
He isn’t going to take a step back in the return game, and all he needs to do to continue improving on offense is prove he’s a stronger option than Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo. He can do that.
Too Crowded: Why KaVontae Turpin Could Regress
The flip side to that is just as simple: it is hard to continue climbing statistically in a crowded wide receiver room. KaVontae Turpin shined in 2024 with the Cowboys’ WR corps depleted, and it’s far from that this year.
Barring another injury-riddled season, he’s going to be competing for targets in a way he didn’t have to last season.
We’re even talking about Lamb and Pickens seeing a decrease in volume because of their dual presence, so why wouldn’t Turpin see the same?
Another issue is what the Dallas front office thinks about their other options. Yes, they paid Turpin a strong amount, but they really do like Tolbert; they just traded a fourth-round pick for Mingo, and Ryan Flournoy and Jalen Brooks are solid young pieces.
The #DallasCowboys are acquiring WR Jonathan Mingo and a 2025 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick, per @TomPelissero.
Mingo, a second-round pick in 2023, was someone who the Cowboys liked in the draft process and has 539 yards in 24 games. pic.twitter.com/nlhyjztht1
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 5, 2024
Turpin will soon turn 29, and with so many options on offense, they may not want to risk their All-Pro return man getting injured, especially with the changes made to special teams by the NFL.
Brian Schottenheimer would have to look past all of these reasons and then really make it a strong point to get Turpin involved to surpass his 2024 totals.
Could it happen? Yes, but it would mean KaVontae Turpin took a huge leap in his ability at wide receiver.
