Cowboys’ struggles making 2025 cap casualties more predictable

It is getting a bit easier to identify potential cap casualties from next offseason.

Even before the season began, certain Dallas Cowboys players were borderline or likely salary cap casualties in 2025. As Dallas continues to struggle as a whole, and with some of these very players being part of their problems, their fates in the upcoming offseason are being sealed before our eyes.

To be clear, cap casualties are players who are still have years left on their contracts but get released because the team feels that relief on the salary cap is more valuable than what that player can contribute. So when it comes to guys like G Zack Martin and DE DeMarcus Lawrence, who aren’t under contract beyond this season, their not returning wouldn’t fall into this category. Both players are in question for 2025 as the team looks to get younger and avoid paying veteran premiums.

So who is looking like a 2025 cap casualty, and how is that projection being strengthened by their performance so far this season?

OT Terence Steele

For as much as rookie tackle Tyler Guyton has had his issues on the left side, the veteran right tackle has arguably been worse. Since his knee injury in 2022, Steele has never gotten back to full speed. He was showing signs of improvement in the back half of 2023 but seems to have regressed now, and it comes at a bad point for him based on his contract.

Dallas can release Steele outright in 2025 for $4.6 million in cap relief. If they designate him as a June 1st cut, that number goes up to $14 million. That’s a huge chunk of money which can go towards an expected contract extension for Micah Parsons or other team needs, such as signing their rookie class. But the Cowboys could easily elect to cut him outright, which avoids dumping dead money into 2026 but still give you a solid $4.6 million to work with in the offseason.

Either way, Steele’s increasing liability as a starter is making him less and less attractive as a future option. While the Cowboys don’t have someone on the roster right now that feels like their RT of the future, they can address that in the offseason. Unless Steele has a dramatic turnaround over the second half of 2024, his time in Dallas is unlikely to go beyond Week 18.

S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson

Let’s talk about the starting safeties together, especially since they’re in the same boat in terms of performance and their contracts. Currently grading as two of the worst starting safeties in the NFL, Hooker and Wilson have gone from solid under Dan Quinn to major weaknesses in Mike Zimmer’s scheme.

The Cowboys can save $3.75 million on Hooker and $5.35 million on Wilson as outright cuts next March. Those numbers jump to $5.75 million and $7 million, respectively, if they’re done as June 1st releases. But remember, June-1st cuts don’t give you cap relief until that calendar date, which means you miss the prime portions of free agency in March and after the draft.

Unlike what’s behind Steele at offensive tackle, Dallas does have two intriguing safety prospects in Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell. Both are restricted free agents in 2025 so Dallas will need to re-sign them, but they could keep both with the cap space from releasing Hooker and Wilson while probably having a little change to add to their cap space.

One mitigating factor here will be whether or not Zimmer returns next season and what the next defensive coordinator thinks. Quinn was able to take guys like Hooker, Wilson, and Jayron Kearse when he was still here. and make them effective parts of his scheme. So if the next DC thinks he can do the same with Hooker and Wilson, perhaps one or even both of the veterans gets one more year. But given how bad this year’s going for them, Dallas’ front office may just want to move on and see what the next generation can do.