Feb. 15, 2026, 7:57 a.m. CT

For months now, it has seemed like a forgone conclusion the Dallas Cowboys would be parting ways with their longtime right tackle, Terence Steele. Steele, 28, is slated to count $18,125,180 against the cap in 2026 and maintains an out in his contract that could free as much as $14 million this season if designated a post-June 1 cut.  

Steele has long struggled to live up to the expectations of that five-year, $87 million extension he signed back in 2023. While he’s consistently rated as an above average run blocker, his pass protection has left something (everything) to be desired. Graded 51 of 83 qualifying tackles in 2025, Steele falls short of his top 12 OT salary. It’s for that reason his exodus this offseason seemed so assured for so long.

Then the salary cap projections for 2026 came out and then the full picture of the position group started to take shape. Now what seemed so inevitable a month ago suddenly feels like a real wild card for the Cowboys.

It starts with the salary cap. The NFL has informed teams the salary cap will elevate to somewhere between 301.2 million and 305.7 million his season which would represent at minimum a $22 million increase over last season. Since contract values of players and salary caps grow congruently, it means contracts that once looked overpriced now appear like virtual bargains. Since the cost of doing business is now set to rise, anyone the Cowboys hope to bring in to replace Steele is likely to cost just as much, if not considerably more.

Looking at the slate of free agent tackles, Green Bay’s Rasheed Walker stands out as the best in class. Walker, technically a left tackle, is expected to leave Green Bay this offseason. With an estimated annual salary well over $20 million, Walker would cost the Cowboys more, but he’d also represent a clear upgrade in pass protection. Unfortunately, Walker is a below average run blocker so what Dallas would make up for in pass pro they’d lose in their ground game. Such a move might also force the Cowboys’ current left tackle, Tyler Guyton, back to his college position of right tackle.

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More affordable options like right tackles Braden Smith and Jonah Williams might hit the market. Spotrac has them commanding salaries between $10 million and $14 million on their next deals. They aren’t clear upgrades, but they’d offer slight cost savings and clear upgraded pass protection. It’s worth noting Williams, by way of the Arizona Cardinals, enjoyed his best season under Klayton Adams in 2024. So aside from a select few, there aren’t many free agent upgrades on the market this offseason.

Maybe the best way for the Cowboys to mix things up and save money in the process is to try an internal option at RT. Third year man Nate Thomas is under contract in 2026 and comes with NFL game experience. The problem is that game experience didn’t show a player ready for a starting gig quite yet. Thomas graded dead last in pass protection grades last season and it’s hard for anyone to argue to the contrary. He’s worth developing as a swing option but to bank on him being a starter is reckless at best. 2025 rookie Ajani Cornelius didn’t log a single snap last season. Given the struggles Dallas endured at OT, that’s not a good sign for his viability or readiness.

At the end of the day, Steele doesn’t look so bad. He’ll likely always be a liability in pass protection but he’s getting more affordable by the day and he’s a positive influence on the locker room. Unless Adams can make inroads with a free agent he knows like Jonah Williams, alternative options are extremely limited.

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