The latest buzz around the Dallas Cowboys ahead of their final game of the season.
KaVontae Turpin’s competitiveness, versatility propel him to second Pro Bowl nod – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
After learning that he made the 2024 Pro Bowl, Turpin talked to the media about his journey to get here.
“I’m grateful man, thank the Lord,” Turpin said. “Two years out of my three years here, I’m just grateful to show my ability on special teams. I’m grateful.”
Prior to joining the Cowboys, Turpin went undrafted and played in the USFL, Fan Controlled Football League and even oversees in Europe. He was the 2022 MVP of the USFL in their inaugural season. Now that he’s made it to the big leagues, he’s proven he belongs.
“Competitive, I’m a little guy, 5’9, 150 pounds going out there and competing on a big level with the big guys,” Turpin said when asked what stood out about himself on his journey to the NFL. “I’m just competitive, I go out there and compete no matter what the circumstances.”
And now, Turpin has backed that up with his second Pro Bowl nomination. He’s the only player in the NFL to have a punt return and kickoff return for a touchdown this season and is the first player in franchise history with at least a punt return, kick return and receiving TD in the same season. To make things more impressive, Turpin has made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist in the age of the old kickoff rules, and now the new ones as well.
“Just being versatile, no matter what you do, I can go out there and just be me and just be a playmaker no matter what the rules are,” Turpin said. “No matter what you try to change formats, I’m going to go out there and just try to be the best at what I do.”
Cowboys land 5 players on NFC Pro Bowl roster – Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com
Brandon Aubrey, KaVontae Turpin, Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Smith have been selected for the 2024 Pro Bowl.
The Cowboys landed five players on the NFC Pro Bowl roster, including two from the special teams.
Kicker Brandon Aubrey and return specialist KaVontae Turpin are returning to the Pro Bowl, along with defensive end Micah Parsons, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and guard Tyler Smith.
All five players made the Pro Bowl last season. Parsons is returning for the fourth time, making it all four seasons of his career so far. Lamb has also been selected for a fourth straight time and Turpin, Aubrey and Smith are returning for a second time.
The Pro Bowl Games return to Orlando in late January, for nearly a week of exciting skills competitions between the NFC and AFC players. The week concludes with an always-intense flag football matchup that has replaced the traditional game with full pads. The game will again be coached by Eli Manning (NFC) and Peyton Manning (AFC).
Cowboys’ disjointed approach to coaching staff for 2024 makes future harder to predict – Saad Yousuf, The Athletic
This season has been a difficult one when it comes to evaluating the coaching staff for next year.
McCarthy is aware of the good and bad outcomes with his position. As much as he’d like to block out the noise, it’s impossible when you’re in Dallas, for better or worse. As the losses pile up, the logistical reality of the contract looms large.
All of it sets the stage for a strange final week.
McCarthy and Zimmer have each been in the NFL for more than three decades. Both have been fired from a head coaching job, so it’s not foreign territory for them. They know how to handle the questions. Schottenheimer and Fassel are sons of former NFL head coaches. Schottenheimer spoke this week about how not much could rattle him, given he saw his dad lose the head coaching job with the San Diego Chargers in 2006, after a 14-2 season ended with a quick playoff exit.
“What I’ve learned through the years is, you’re promised 17 games and you owe that to your team,” Schottenheimer said. “You owe that to the players and staff. Sunday’s going to come. We’re going to play out (our) last game and see what happens but nothing surprises me.”…
…The Cowboys enter a season finale in which nothing will provide a data point that doesn’t already exist. The playoff failures are on the table. The team showed fight for McCarthy when the chances were slim, and even when the postseason chances were gone. McCarthy was brought in for playoff wins and that won’t happen this season. There aren’t many options that weren’t there for the Cowboys last year, had they moved on from McCarthy after the Packers loss. Black Monday could always add candidates to the pool but no big fish is expected to enter the picture.
Mike McCarthy explains process behind Ezekiel Elliott release – Matt Galatzan, Sports Illustrated
Mike McCarthy spoke about the release of Ezekiel Elliott and the mutual decision behind it.
On Thursday, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy took it a step further, revealing that Elliott asked for his release from the team. He also made it clear that Elliott earned the right to ask for his release.
“With Zeke’s success here [in the past], he’s earned this opportunity at his request,” McCarthy said, per DallasCowboys.com. ”It was a conversation, and he asked for an opportunity to move forward and I think that’s clearly what’s in front of him.”
Unfortunately for Elliott, it does not appear as of yet that his plan will work out the way he hoped.
As of right now, Elliott has remained unclaimed and unsigned, leaving him as a free agent heading into the final week of the regular season. Of course, that doesn’t mean that he will be unable to catch out with a contender after this weekend’s slate of games, but barring injuries, those odds seem slim.
The 29-year-old has been a shell of his former self on the field, accruing just 226 yards on 74 carries (3.1 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. Which, in part, led to the increased role and eventual emergence of Rico Dowdle as the No. 1 back in the offense.
Dallas Cowboys’ 3 biggest 2025 Pro Bowl snubs – Ali Jawad, Sports Illustrated
Even in a down year, some of these Dallas Cowboys players should have been considered for a Pro-Bowl nod.
CB Jourdan Lewis
Throughout his eight-year career, cornerback Jourdan Lewis has proven to be a consistently reliable defender for the Cowboys, always answering the call when needed.
Despite consistently delivering strong performances, Lewis has been overshadowed by his peers, a situation that highlights a persistent issue of underrated talent in the NFL.
A quick glance at the numbers further emphasizes Lewis’s deservingness. Compared to two of the four NFC cornerbacks who were selected for the Pro Bowl. Lewis who has allowed just 42 receptions for 405 yards, a significantly lower volume than players like Byron Murphy (70 receptions, 720 yards) and Devon Witherspoon (58 receptions, 536 yards).
As an upcoming free agent, Lewis should be one of Dallas’ top priority players to retain for next season.
DT Osa Odighizuwa
The most disruptive Cowboys player upfront not named Micah Parsons has been defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa another free agent who Cowboys fans hope to see wearing the star for the next few years.
In his fourth season, the former UCLA standout has amassed an impressive stat line, including 33 tackles, 55 pressures, 14 hits, 6 sacks, and 30 stops, according to Pro Football Focus.
When compared to other elite interior defenders on the roster, such as the Buccaneers’ Vita Vea, the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence, and the Eagles’ Jalen Carter, Odighizuwa stands out.
He has recorded more sacks, stops, and tackles than Carter, more pressures than Vea, and despite Lawrence’s season-ending injury, Odighizuwa still boasts more tackles and pressures than the Giants’ star.
