Updates: Micah limited in practice Thursday :: The Mothership Link Parsons was added to the Thursday report with a wrist issue. He said he took a shot to the ribs from Saquon Barkley in Week 17 but shrugged off the severity of that injury. “For the most part,” he said, “I’m good and I’m looking forward to finishing the season strong.” Mazi Smith also popped up on the report with a pelvis injury. Money or development? Contract quirk could impact Cowboys’ Cooper Rush-Trey Lance decision :: Dallas Morning News Link Cooper Rush stands to earn a $500,000 bonus if he plays in 55% of the Cowboys’ snaps this season. He’s 65 plays away, with the offense averaging 64.3 plays per game. But Trey Lance is still sitting there, hoping for an opportunity before hitting free agency. Do the Cowboys stick with the known commodity of Rush and just fork over his incentive? Or do they use the season finale as a make-or-break moment for Lance’s future with the club? Mike McCarthy on this possibly being his final Cowboys’ home game: I’m definitely aware :: ProFootballTalk Link The coach acknowledged that Sunday could be his final game with the Cowboys. “I won a Super Bowl in that home locker room at AT&T Stadium,” McCarthy said. “So, I have a very strong emotional attachment that it hits me every time I walk in there and every time I walk out. So, yeah, I’m definitely aware of it.” He maintains he’s not thinking about much beyond beating Washington, but he admitted he’s “in tune” with the obvious importance of the coming moment. Final Mike McCarthy Replacement Rankings: Who should be Cowboys head coach in 2025? :: Cowboys Wire Link The speculation and the waiting is about to kick into a whole ‘nother gear. McCarthy might be staying put in 2025, but if Jerry Jones decides to make a change, Dallas will be the biggest tent at the offseason circus. Names to watch could include anybody from Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Georgia’s Kirby Smart (pretty unlikely) to Cowboys alums Deion Sanders or Kellen Moore to hot coordinator prospects Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, or Brian Flores. Cowboys front office confirms no hurry to discuss McCarthy’s future :: Jon Machota Report: Mike McCarthy could set sight on Chicago Bears if Cowboys move on :: Blogging the Boys Link Former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has been said to have interest in the Chicago head job, but some sources believe McCarthy could be eyeing a possible return to the NFC North if he and the Cowboys part ways. Of the three current openings- the Bears, Jets, and Saints- Chicago is thought to be the most opportune posting, given the current players on the roster. The presence of a young talent at quarterback in need of development could be a serious draw for McCarthy. Commanders not planning on resting starters vs. Cowboys, going for 6th seed :: Commanders Wire Link If Washington beats Dallas in the season finale, they claim the No. 6 seed in the NFC, regardless of what anybody else does. That is precisely Dan Quinn’s plan. “Yeah, we’re going to go after as hard as we can,” Quinn said. “We recognize having a six seed and going into the playoffs with that is a good thing. And so, we’re going to fight like hell to keep that.” 5 Cowboys named to 2024 Pro Bowl :: Cowboys Wire Link Despite a disappointing season for the team, a handful of Cowboys will be honored for their individual efforts. Kicker Brandon Aubrey, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, edge rusher Micah Parsons, guard Tyler Smith, and return specialist KaVontae Turpin were all selected to represent the NFC as all-stars. All were Pro Bowlers last season as well. Cowboys veteran CB Jourdan Lewis wins team’s annual ‘Good Guy Award’ :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link Lewis received the team’s Good Guy Award, voted on by the Dallas chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association for his cooperation with the media over the course of the season. “It’s just to represent the team well, to make sure that the brand is protected, and make sure that my teammates are protected,’’ Lewis said. “Whenever I get a chance, when you want to talk to me win, lose or draw, I want to make sure I put my best foot forward for everybody that’s involved with this organization.’’ Inside Ezekiel Elliott’s turbulent return to the Dallas Cowboys that led to his awkward release :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link Elliott’s return to Dallas never felt like it would end well. He was immediately thrust back into a starring role both on and off the field, but the 49 yards he picked up in Week 1 turned out to be his last best moment wearing a star. He struggled with fewer touches and seemed to be holding back the progress of Rico Dowdle, and he was finally benched for habitual tardiness. He visibly lost support in the locker room and finally became a non-factor in the team’s game plans. It ended with him asking to be released; he’s now free to join any squad that wants him. When fans look back at Elliott, it will be for the years he wore No. 21, not the awkward partial season in No. 15. Cowboys’ Dak Prescott taking security seriously amid break-ins :: ESPN Link Prescott says the $40,000 worth of merchandise recently stolen from his fiancée’s car shouldn’t be tied to the string of break-ins at the homes at several pro athletes, but he admits he’s taken precautions regarding his own family’s security. “I’ve always understood who I was or where I was, especially being the quarterback of this team and targeted that I am, whether it be for a natural robbery or whether it be for losing a game and whatever,” Prescott said. “I’ve understood the position that I am in. So, for me it’s more about the day and now protecting my fiancée and my daughter.”
2025 Draft Order Projections: Every combination of Week 18 results that impact Cowboys’ slot
2025 Draft Order Projections: Every combination of Week 18 results that impact Cowboys’ slot K.D. Drummond TL;DR While most attention this weekend will go towards playoff positioning, the Dallas Cowboys are in a scramble for draft position superiority. There are nine teams which could finish between No. 11 and No. 17 in the draft order and 64 total combinations. Dallas’ floor and ceiling is the No. 16 pick; their ceiling is the No. 12 pick. If Dallas wins, No. 13 is the earliest in the draft they can pick. If Dallas loses, they can end up no worse than No 13. The Cowboys can only pick No. 13 if Arizona beats San Francisco. The most common outcome, based on win/loss combinations is the Cowboys select No. 12, with 16 possible outcomes. The 2024 NFL regular season is almost over and there’s plenty left to be determined. Each conference has already locked in six of their seven contestants for the postseason tournament. Kansas City has locked up the AFC No. 1 seed, Buffalo the No. 2 seed and Houston is locked into the No. 4 seed. The AFC North is a battle between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, with the Steelers opponent Cincinnati trying to overtake the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins for the final wild-card spot. While the No. 1 seed in the NFC is the biggest result in waiting, with Minnesota and Detroit battling for NFC North supremacy. The Eagles and Rams have clinched their divisions, with Washington locked into a wild-card berth and Atlanta (vs Carolina) and Tampa Bay (vs New Orleans) are chasing the NFC South crown. But those aren’t the only stakes this weekend. Draft order is on the line and there are seven teams jostling to determine the final order in the middle of the round. The San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys are all in contention to finish anywhere from No. 11 to No. 17. Technically the Bucs and Broncos are in this conversation as well, but if either or both fail to qualify, they would finish at the back of this cluster so we’ll leave them out of the conversation for intents and purposes. With the 49ers and Cardinals facing each other, there are 64 different combinations of final results, excluding ties. In the other matchups, Dallas takes on Washington, Indianapolis faces the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami plays the New York Jets, Cincinnati squares off with the Steelers and Atlanta tackles the Carolina Panthers. Here’s each different scenario, categorized by where the Cowboys would draft in the first round based on the specific set of results. Dallas win scenarios (8-9) Dallas picks No. 12 if: There are no scenarios where Dallas wins and finishes No. 12. Dallas picks No. 13 if: AZ+CIN+MIA wins, SF+IND+ATL loses AZ+CIN+MIA+ATL wins, SF+IND loses AZ+IND+MIA+CIN wins, SF+ATL loses AZ+IND+MIA+CIN+ATL wins, SF loses Dallas picks No. 14 if: SF+CIN+ATL+MIA wins, AZ+IND loses SF+IND+ATL+MIA wins, AZ+CIN loses SF+IND+CIN+MIA wins, AZ+ATL loses SF+IND+CIN+MIA+ATL wins, AZ loses AZ+CIN wins, SF+IND+MIA+ATL loses AZ+MIA wins, SF+IND+CIN+ATL loses AZ+MIA+ATL wins, SF+IND+CIN loses AZ+CIN+ATL wins, SF+IND+MIA loses AZ+IND+CIN wins, SF+MIA+ATL loses AZ+IND+MIA wins, SF+MIA+CIN loses AZ+IND+CIN+ATL wins, SF+MIA loses AZ+IND+MIA+ATL wins, SF+CIN loses Dallas picks No. 15 if: SF+CIN wins, AZ+IND+MIA+ATL loses SF+MIA wins, AZ+IND+CIN+ATL loses SF+MIA+ATL wins, AZ+IND+CIN loses SF+IND+CIN wins, AZ+MIA+ATL loses SF+IND+MIA wins, AZ+CIN+ATL loses SF+CIN+ATL wins, AZ+IND+MIA loses SF+IND+MIA+ATL wins, AZ+CIN loses SF+IND+MIA+ATL+CIN wins, AZ loses AZ wins, SF+IND+MIA+ATL+CIN loses AZ+ATL wins, SF+IND+MIA+CIN loses AZ+IND wins, SF+MIA+CIN+ATL loses AZ+IND+ATL wins, SF+MIA+CIN loses Dallas picks No. 16 if: SF wins, AZ+IND+MIA+CIN+ATL loses SF+ATL wins, AZ+IND+MIA+CIN loses SF+IND wins, AZ+MIA+CIN+ATL loses SF+IND+ATL wins, AZ+MIA+CIN loses Dallas loss scenarios (7-10) Dallas picks No. 11 if: SF+IND wins, AZ+ATL+MIA+CIN loses SF+IND+ATL wins, AZ+CIN+MIA loses SF+CIN+IND wins, AZ+ATL+MIA loses SF+CIN+ATL+IND wins, AZ+MIA loses SF+MIA+IND wins, AZ+ATL+CIN loses SF+MIA+ATL+IND wins, AZ+CIN loses SF+MIA+CIN+IND wins, AZ+ATL loses SF+MIA+CIN+IND+ATL wins, AZ loses Dallas picks No. 12 if: SF wins, AZ+IND+MIA+CIN+ATL loses SF+ATL wins, AZ+IND+MIA+CIN loses SF+CIN wins, AZ+IND+MIA+ATL loses SF+MIA wins, AZ+IND+CIN+ATL loses SF+CIN+ATL wins, AZ+IND+MIA loses SF+MIA+ATL wins, AZ+IND+CIN loses SF+CIN+MIA wins, AZ+IND+ATL loses SF+CIN+ATL+MIA wins, AZ+IND loses AZ+IND wins, SF+CIN+MIA+ATL loses AZ+IND+ATL wins, SF+CIN+MIA loses AZ+IND+CIN wins, SF+ATL+MIA loses AZ+IND+MIA wins, SF+ATL+CIN loses AZ+IND+CIN+ATL wins, SF+MIA loses AZ+IND+MIA+ATL wins, SF+CIN loses AZ+IND+MIA+CIN wins, SF+ATL loses AZ+IND+MIA+CIN+ATL wins, SF loses Dallas picks No. 13 if: AZ wins, SF+IND+CIN+ATL+MIA loses AZ+ATL wins, SF+IND+CIN+MIA loses AZ+CIN wins, SF+IND+ATL+MIA loses AZ+CIN+ATL wins, SF+IND+MIA loses AZ+MIA wins, SF+IND+CIN+ATL loses AZ+MIA+ATL wins, SF+IND+CIN loses AZ+MIA+CIN wins, SF+IND+ATL loses AZ+MIA+CIN+ATL wins, SF+IND loses Dallas picks No. 14 if: There are no combinations for Dallas to finish here if they lose. Dallas picks No. 15 if: There are no combinations for Dallas to finish here if they lose. Dallas picks No. 16 if: There are no combinations for Dallas to finish here if they lose. *ChatGPT was used to calculate all of the various win/loss combinations.
Report: Mike McCarthy could set sight on Chicago Bears if Cowboys move on
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images Mike McCarthy may prefer the Chicago Bears if the Cowboys move on from him. The Dallas Cowboys are about a week away from making a decision on Mike McCarthy. Obviously the Cowboys’ season will end on Sunday afternoon which means that if they want to get a jump on things they will take care of matters as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this is not the Cowboys’ way. They usually prefer to draw out the process of moving on from, or bringing back, a current head coach, in this case Mike McCarthy. Consider that the 2019 season ended on December 29th and that it took until January 5th of 2020 for the team to make a formal announcement that they were moving on from Jason Garrett at the time. It is fair to expect more of the same this time around as well. If the Cowboys do wind up moving on from McCarthy then it stands to reason that he is not going to sit idly by. Reports continue to swirl that McCarthy could be a wanted head coach and on Thursday it was reported that in that hypothetical world, the Chicago Bears could be his team of choice. Pete Carroll might not be the only Super Bowl-winning coach vying for the Bears job. I’ve talked to multiple people who believe McCarthy — should he leave Dallas — could set his sights on Chicago. He would give the Bears much-needed experience and offensive acumen. At the moment there are three head coach openings in the NFL: Chicago, New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints. Of those three it is hard to argue against the idea that Chicago is the best and most opportune one for a would-be candidate based on the pieces each team has on their roster. It makes sense that McCarthy would prefer them. Will things ultimately come to that, though? Or will the Cowboys bring McCarthy back? As noted, we may be a ways away from ultimately having this answer. Buckle up and get ready to wait.
Mike McCarthy’s blowout losses send an alarming message about his ability as the Cowboys coach
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Losing games is never fun, but getting blown out adds another level of frustration for McCarthy’s Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys will finish the year with a losing season for just the fourth time in the last 20 years. As fans, we are fortunate it doesn’t happen very often, but it still hurts when it does and the Cowboys will need to figure some things out to ensure these losing seasons remain few and far between. One thing they’ll need to figure out is what to do about Mike McCarthy. The decision on whether or not to bring him back will be a big discussion for the next week or two. Supporters are quick to point out that he is a Super Bowl-winning coach who has what it takes to win a championship. His three straight 12-win seasons with Dallas had never been accomplished before in franchise history and provided the team repeated shots at a playoff run. That’s something. Detractors, however, have a different opinion. The McCarthy ride has contained a lot of bumps and bruises along the way and while everything isn’t his fault, he’s had a hand in it. Since he and Brian Schottenheimer have taken over the offensive responsibilities, the Cowboys have started the season completely out of sync in each of the last two years. It takes McCarthy a long time to recognize that things aren’t working. Some of the things happening on offense are perplexing. The whole running back situation is one of them. Why did it take half a season for him to realize that Rico Dowdle should be the lead running back? Why doesn’t one of the team’s most explosive weapons, KaVontae Turpin, get more touches? And why does his offensive playbook shrivel up when he gets into the red zone? These are problems that never seem to go away. Even last year before the offense started humming, it was really terrible early on, and it feels like it takes him to be slapped upside the head before he realizes things aren’t working. It’s frustrating. There are other issues as well. The Cowboys still struggle with discipline as they’ve been one of the most penalized teams in the league under McCarthy. After the Cowboys lose, McCarthy appears unfazed and carries a “we’ll get’em next time” attitude. He has a heightened sense of how good they are and rather than correct problems, he behaves as if everything will eventually fall into place. Clearly, things didn’t work themselves out this season. Most people will blame injuries as the root cause for the Cowboys’ failures, and let’s be real, the injuries have been significant. It’s hard to think any coach could have success with the health problems the Cowboys have endured this year, particularly losing your starting quarterback for a large part of the season. When you look at the Cowboys’ last 20 seasons, four times they lost their starting quarterback for most of the year. Each time they finished with a losing season. Conversely, when their quarterback was healthy, they never finished with a losing season during that same 20-year span. That’s impressive and speaks to how good the supporting cast has been to keep winning across multiple coaching staffs. So, having a losing season in a year without Dak Prescott is par for the course for the Cowboys and McCarthy shouldn’t be overcriticized for that. But we shouldn’t stop there. This season has felt extra yucky because the Cowboys aren’t just losing games, they’re getting laughed out of the building. The Cowboys have lost five games this season by at least 20 points. No season in the Jerry Jones era had as many blowout losses as McCarthy’s group has this year. In fact, that’s the same amount of blowouts as all of the ‘90s Cowboys team had combined. That’s crazy. McCarthy’s blowout losses aren’t limited to one bad season or just when the starting quarterback is unavailable. His teams can show up and produce a stinker anytime. Watching them come out flat, struggle to make adjustments, and become the laughingstock for the week is no fun. And yet this has been a reoccurring theme for McCarthy’s Cowboys this season. But hey, no quarterback, no chance, right? While losing games is a likely outcome, not all losses are created equally, and it is interesting to look at those seasons where the Cowboys lost their starter and see how the coaching staff handled things. In 2010, they only had one blowout, and it was memorable. It was enough to get Wade Phillips fired the next day. After Phillips was fired, the team finished the year winning five of their last eight games with Jon Kitna at the helm. In 2015, they lost 12 games when the backup trio of Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and Kellen Moore was awful, but they were in a dogfight most of the time. In comparison… Two losing seasons with Phillips/Garrett (2010 and 2015) = a total of three blowout losses Two losing seasons with McCarthy (2020 and 2024) = a total of eight blowout losses Some may believe a loss is a loss and it doesn’t matter if it’s by one point or 30 points, but there’s a big difference. Staying in the game and having a chance to win matters and far too many times the Cowboys aren’t doing that under McCarthy. In a vacuum, you might not think much of it, but considering the issues we mentioned before (coming out flat, unwillingness to change, not using his weapons correctly, constantly committing penalties), this becomes a lot more concerning. McCarthy’s issues are systemic. They won’t go away with a healthy quarterback. In fact, most of the blowout games the Cowboys have been in over the past two seasons have come with Prescott at quarterback. When the season ends, McCarthy’s fate will be decided. A lot of people are conflicted about whether he’s the right guy for the job. He’s done some good things and
Final Mike McCarthy Replacement Rankings: Who should be Cowboys head coach in 2025?
The offseason is a mere few days away for the Dallas Cowboys. After getting embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles, a team with one of the five best records in the league last Sunday, the Cowboys are going to finish the season under .500 for the first time since 2020. The two seasons, both played without quarterback Dak Prescott for their majority, bookend the Dallas contract of head coach Mike McCarthy. Hired to replace Jason Garrett, McCarthy was charged with making Dallas into annual contenders and also finding the playoff success that has avoided them even during the good seasons. The former has been achieved; three healthy quarterback years delivering three seasons of 12-5 performance. The latter has still avoided them, with just one playoff victory in five years and lackluster performances in three of their four contests. As such, it’s more than likely time to change skippers for the Cowboys. The last hiring cycle took a while to get going, as Dallas waited over a week from the end of the regular season before hiring McCarthy. Time may be of the essence this cycle, as there could be upwards of seven or eight openings come early January. The Jets, Saints and Bears have already fired their head coaches. The Cowboys, Giants, Jaguars, and Raiders could all be in that boat. There’s even an outside chance the Bengals and 49ers are looking for new leaders for their sidelines. And while Jerry Jones has generally focused on experience in his last four hires, where do things go this cycle? There’s a ton of guys with various amounts of experience as coordinators, though it’s hard to envision Jones hiring a Liam Coen of Tampa, whose called plays in the NFL just for one season, or Frank Smith of Miami who hasn’t done it at all. There are assistants who have been head coaches before, like Kliff Kingsbury and Brian Flores. There are former head coaches like Mike Vrabel, collegiate coaches like Deion Sanders and Kirby Smart, former Cowboys assistants like Kellen Moore and Wes Phillips, and that’s before the young guns like Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, Joe Brady and others are even mentioned. It’s going to be a crazy upheaval in the NFL coaching ranks and if Dallas throws their hats in the ring, they will be the biggest tent at the circus. 22. Josh McCown, Minnesota Vikings QB Coach 21. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman 20. Liam Coen, OC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19. Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks OC 18. University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart 17. Ejiro Evero, Carolina Panthers, DC 18. Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers, DC 15. Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos, DC 14. Adam Stenovich, Green Bay Packers OC 13 Cowboys current head coach Mike McCarthy Dec 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy reacts during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports It has to be given consideration, but perhaps Jones and McCarthy are a match made in heaven. McCarthy has several endearing qualities and Jones can easily be convinced to give him another shot of righting the ship. 12 Vikings OC Wes Phillips Dec 10, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips walks on the field before a game between the Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports Phillips has been instrumental in the improvement of Sam Darnold this season, and while Kevin O’Connell calls the plays, the biggest impediment to Phillips becoming a head coach was that he’s in the booth on gamedays and not down on the sideline. That changed in November. At 45, Wade Phillips’ son who was an assistant in Dallas for seven years to start his NFL coaching career (staying on with Jason Garrett after his dad was fired) has spent three years in Minnesota. If he were to make the jump, he’d need a defensive coordinator with head coaching experience by his side, but the idea shouldn’t be outright dismissed. 11 Colorado HC Deion Sanders Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders (right) talks with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports After great success at Jackson State with back-to-back SWAC championships, Sanders has quickly brought Colorado from obscurity to relevancy. 1-11 the season before, Sanders brought them to 4-9 in Year 1 and 9-3 in Year 2 before losing their bowl game to BYU. Sanders has always been given credence in this space as a real possibility and it will be interesting to see if he is as committed to his “never coach NFL” words as he claims to be. 10 Former NFL head coach Mike Vrabel Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel reacts to a Titans penalty against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. Vrabel was fired by owner Amy Adams Strunk Monday after having two losing seasons back-to-back. Vrabel is a defensive-minded head coach who was able to achieve strong levels of success in Tennessee with a veteran QB who wasn’t well regarded (Ryan Tannehill) prior to their time together. Known as a disciplinarian, pairing him with Dak Prescott would require finding the next big thing as offensive coordinator. Vrabel seems to fit as the coach with a ton of experience Jones is believed to prefer. 9 Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith Nov 2, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith at press conference at the PSD Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Grabbing from a fruitful tree is always a wise idea, and snatching Smith from under Mike McDaniel as part of the Kyle Shanahan limb system seems like a wise call. Dallas rarely uses motion at the snap and isn’t particularly good at it; and that’s literally the forte of Smith. Doesn’t currently have play-calling duties
College Football Playoffs live discussion: Notre Dame vs Georgia
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Enjoy some college football playoffs The College Football Playoffs continue with a game between Notre Dame and Georgia. This is an open thread for game chat.
Cowboys Headlines: Will Trey Lance to start season finale? Roster shenanigans abound
Cowboys add DE to active roster, 2 to practice squad before season finale :: Cowboys Wire Link: Dallas completed a flurry of moves signing two players to their practice squad but it didn’t end there. The Cowboys also added a Super Bowl-winning defensive end with local ties to the DFW area. Jourdan Lewis not yet focused on NFL free agency, but wants to re-sign with Cowboys :: The Mothership Link: For eight seasons, Cornerback Jourdan Lewis has remained a Cowboys fixture, planting roots in what has become his home in the DFW area. Staying in Dallas is his preference but the coordinator-proof corner understands the NFL is a business. What Cowboys QB Dak Prescott said about burglary of fiancee’s vehicle :: Dallas Morning News Link: The recent string of athlete burglaries has risen, but Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott spoke about the $40,000 worth of property stone from his fiance’s car, saying it was not related to that ring of thefts. Updates: Cowboys sign All-XFL player to roster :: The Mothership Link: Dallas has a history of mining gold from the professional spring football league and the team is attempting to hit it rich again with the signing of 2023 All-XFL cornerback Luq Barcoo to their practice squad. In final press conference of season, Cowboys coach Mike Zimmer shows emotion, explains biggest regret of 2024 :: Fort Worth Star Telegram Link: Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer explained his biggest regret to the media in his final media availability of the season and wishes he would have done things his way as opposed to the status quo. High 5: Five players under evaluation in Week 18 :: The Mothership Link: Quarterback Trey Lance figures to be active Sunday landing him alongside guys like wideout Jonathan Mingo and rusher Deuce Vaughn in five players that will be under evaluation heading into the offseason. Cowboys starting QB for season finale vs. Commanders still up in the air :: The Dallas Morning News Link: Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush took over for injured starter Dak Prescott yey with Dallas eliminated from post-season contention, reserve QB Trey Lance has not been told he will start the final regular season game against Washington. Top NFL Draft prospects Cowboys fans should focus on during New Year’s Bowl games :: SI.com Link: Weekday football courtesy of the college football playoffs on New Year’s Day provided a great opportunity for Cowboys fans to get a sneak preview at the potential prospects Dallas could target in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft. 3 questions after Cowboys’ loss to Eagles :: Blogging the Boys Link: Who should start at quarterback for Dallas in the season finale is only the first of three things Cowboys fans are asking. Worrying about wideout number two in 2025 and tight end Jake Ferguson are the other questions after an embarrassing loss to Philadelphia. Ezekiel Elliott released: Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy explains why veteran RB’s return to Dallas didn’t work out :: CBS Sports Link: The emergence of undrafted free agent running back Rico Dowdle was the answer given by Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy explaining the biggest reason why Ezekiel Elliott is no longer in Dallas. Cowboys vs. Commanders Is Heavyweight Fight to Star Rookie :: Athlon Sports Link: Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels understands the storied rivalry between Washington and Dallas yet seeks retribution after losing to a motivated Cowboys squad just a few weeks ago. Dolphins sign OT Braeden Daniels off Cowboys’ practice squad, place Kendall Lamm on IR :: Pro Football Talk Link: Offensive tackle Braeden Daniels is signing with the Dolphins leaving Dallas after less than a month with the team. The journeyman signed with Dallas on December 12 after stints with three other teams this season.
5 Dallas Cowboys selected to Pro Bowl including Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys have a handful of players who were selected to the Pro Bowl. There are but a few days left in the season for the Dallas Cowboys as they will soon be relegated to the crop of teams not playing in the annual playoff tournament. Such is life. Before the regular season comes to a close though, there are several matters for both the team and league as a whole to tend to. One is the status of the Pro Bowl, even if the event itself has lost some luster over the last decade and change. While the game itself is a bit of… something… the reality is that being selected to the Pro Bowl is a big deal. On Thursday morning it was announced that five members of the Cowboys were chosen: Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Smith, KaVontae Turpin and Brandon Aubrey. From the mothership: 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. Having 5 pro bowlers despite the season that they had early on is quite impressive from the Cowboys, although given there is a rising tide effect to playing for the team what with the platform that it provides. That isn’t to take away from the seasons that any of these players had as they are all very well-deserving. The Cowboys shut CeeDee Lamb down for the season last week so it stands to reason that he may not participate in the Pro Bowl festivities. Obviously we will see about that. Of these 5 it is easy to see the likes of Micah Parsons and KaVontae Turpin also getting All-Pro nods. Brandon Aubrey is a definite possibility there. It would not be crazy for CeeDee Lamb to garner a second-team selection. Perhaps that might be a bit too optimistic for Tyler Smith, though. Congratulations to all 5 of the Pro Bowl players on the Dallas Cowboys.
Cowboys news: Jourdan Lewis discusses his upcoming free agency
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. Jourdan Lewis not yet focused on NFL free agency, but wants to re-sign with Cowboys – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com One of Dallas’ most reliable defenders wants to stay with the team that drafted him. FRISCO, Texas — With the 2024 calendar year now in the history books and the regular season nearing its conclusion for the Dallas Cowboys, it’s impossible to quantify the impact of certain players in a year that was decimated by all manner of adversity, and Jourdan Lewis is one such player. Despite it all, the veteran cornerback has not only been a vocal mentor and leader within the locker room, but also one of the best players on any side of the ball in Dallas — turning his one-year contract extension into a Pro Bowl caliber campaign. So it’s a no-brainer that the Cowboys want him to stay put when free agency arrives. “Jourdan’s just an uber competitor,” said executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones. “He’s a guy who’s out of contract, and obviously a guy that we want to have back on this football team.” Lewis is, to this point in his career, a lifer with the Cowboys who has proven to be, well, coordinator-proof. […] He’s not naive, though, which is to say Lewis knows what’s on the horizon and, as such, he’s not willing to play coy when it comes to where he’d like to play football next year, and possibly for the years that follow. Lewis has only ever been a Cowboy, and he hopes it can stay that way. “Always,” he said. “Dallas is my home. My kids were born here. We’d love to have another season here, or a few seasons here. My wife loves it. “But I know it’s a business, and we don’t know what the front office needs.” The good news is the front office has already stated their intentions, and that one player they definitely need is Lewis. Ideal Ezekiel Elliott landing spot lets him stick it to Cowboys one more time – Mark Powell, Fansided.com Zeke is still in search of a ring, and some rivals could give him that opportunity. Still, Elliott and the Cowboys have a complicated backstory, but one of mutual respect. The Cowboys thanked Zeke on his way out the door on Tuesday in a statement from president Jerry Jones. “Out of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to provide him with an opportunity to pursue any potential playoff participation possible, we are releasing him from the Cowboys roster today,” Jones said. “As I have said many times previously, Zeke’s impact as one of the greatest to ever play with the Star on their helmet will never change and is etched in our record books and history forever. We thank him, love him and wish him the absolute best.” Where will Ezekiel Elliott land? Why not the Detroit Lions While that sounds fine and dandy, the Cowboys have no control over where Elliott lands. There are infinite possibilities, but one makes more sense than most, and that’s the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys wouldn’t consider the Lions a rival, but after the infamous Dan Skipper game, Detroit fans might feel differently. Signing Elliott and turning him into a replacement-level backup would work in the Lions favor, as David Montgomery is out for the time being. Montgomery hasn’t played since Dec. 15. Jahmyr Gibbs can handle the increased workload and will shine without Montgomery, but the Lions offense isn’t the same without its 1-2 rushing attack, otherwise known as Sonic and Knuckles. Detroit could sign Elliott for relatively cheap and place him on the practice squad as a ‘break in case of emergency’ backfield option. Frankly, that is all Elliott is asking for – a chance to help a contending team. The Lions qualify as that and then some. How cornerback has quickly turned into one of the Cowboys’ biggest needs this offseason – Matthew Holleran, BloggingTheBoys.com Injuries and free agency have turned cornerback into a need. This was just the beginning of Dallas’ injury woes at the cornerback spot. After Bland, nearly every impactful cornerback on the Cowboys’ roster has dealt with injury issues at some point this season. Trevon Diggs and Josh Butler were the worst victims of the injury bug, suffering season-ending injuries that will force them to miss a significant portion of next season. Injury issues weren’t the only problem for Dallas’ cornerback group this season. Even when the group was relatively healthy, outside of Jourdan Lewis who has had an All-Pro-caliber season, the performance was disappointing. Caelen Carson was picked on with success consistently early on in the season, never getting his job back after a shoulder injury, and Diggs and Bland both showed some rust returning from different ailments. As if all this didn’t create enough uncertainty about the future of the position group, the Cowboys currently have three cornerbacks (Bland, Diggs, out for at least half of 2025, Carson) under contract for the 2025 season. Unless they have a shift in philosophy, it will be hard for the Cowboys to bring back Jourdan Lewis, who is a free agent at season’s end. With how he’s played this year, Lewis will almost certainly be offered a multi-year contract worth more money than the Cowboys will be willing to match. If Lewis does walk, Dallas would be down to just Bland and Carson as their starting corners until Diggs returns from injury late in the regular season. After the performance he put on display this season, it would be very hard to envision the Cowboys trusting Carson enough to enter the season with him as one of their starting cornerbacks. If this is the case, it will almost force Dallas to spend one of the first three draft picks on a cornerback or acquire a starting-caliber corner that can play outside in free agency. There are plenty of glaring needs
Cowboys injury report: Donovan Wilson, Chuma Edoga limited
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The Cowboys injury report for Wednesday After a long season, we are at the last game of the year for the Dallas Cowboys. With the team eliminated from postseason contention, expect several call-ups from the practice squad to give players a chance to make an impression heading into the offseason, plus a nice paycheck. As you would expect, some Dallas starters will be less than motivated to gut out nagging injuries and get on the field for the season finale. After today’s practice on New Year’s Day, there’s a lengthy injury report for the Cowboys. Here’s how Dallas looks after their first day of practice in preparation for the Washington Commanders. First #WASvsDAL practice report: pic.twitter.com/dVAE9Zydlj — Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) January 1, 2025 Defensive back Kemon Hall did not practice (hamstring). Also not practicing was LB Nick Vigil who was sidelined by a foot injury. Many players were limited. Donovan Wilson is managing a knee injury and earned a limited tag. The goes for Princeton Fant, who has a calf injury as well as T.J. Bass, who has been dealing with a lingering thigh injury. Tackle Chuma Edoga was also limited with a toe. Practicing in full was Jourdan Lewis (elbow) and Jalen Tolbert (finger). For Dallas’ opponent, the Washington Commanders, they have clinched a spot in the postseason and could either be the sixth- or seventh-seed heading into the playoffs. They have a lot players who were DNP and likely will be withheld until the playoffs. Washington has a few notable injuries that could change the outlook of this week’s game. Marshon Lattimore (Hamstring) has played sparingly since joining the team via trade. He was absent from today’s team activities. Former Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz (ankle) also did not practice.
