The writing has been on the wall for Dallas Cowboys veteran safety Donovan Wilson for what feels like months. Well, at long last, the time is finally upon us.
Wilson, who just turned 31 on Feb. 21, is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11. He reportedly has “hopes of returning.” to the Cowboys, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News ($). However, it appears more likely that the club will move on from one of its longest-tenured members.
Dallas figures to go in a different direction at an area of weakness that’s plagued them in recent years. The back end of their porous defense, where Wilson has spent the past seven campaigns, desperately needs a makeover this offseason.
Fellow Cowboys safety Malik Hooker has already been mentioned as an all-too-obvious cap casualty, but they’re both as good as gone.
Signs point toward Donovan Wilson’s time with the Dallas Cowboys ending this offseason
Christian Parker’s arrival as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. It’s clear that Dallas wants to overhaul their stop unit woes, considering he’s wasted no time gutting his predecessor, Matt Eberflus’, staff. That spells trouble for Wilson, an aging player with limitations.
Pass defense is where Wilson struggles the most. His 78.4 completion percentage against and 119.2 passer rating allowed ($) were each the 27th-highest among 130 safeties with at least 50 coverage snaps.
Moreover, no one gave up more receiving touchdowns when targeted (eight); these are the last things a well-regarded defensive backs coach turned-play-caller like Parker wants.
Across 15 games in 2025, Wilson amassed 71 tackles (three for loss), five pass deflections, two interceptions and a forced fumble. His efforts earned him a lackluster 50.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade, good for 88th out of 98 qualified safeties.
No team allowed more passing yards than the Cowboys this season, and only the New York Jets surrendered more touchdowns through the air. Conversely, Dallas recorded the fewest pass deflections in the NFL by a good margin.
Of course, that’s not to say Wilson was the sole problem, though it speaks to how badly the secondary needs to be addressed.
One of the team’s longest-tenured players, Wilson was a good servant for Dallas, but it’s time to get younger and more athletic at safety under new Christian Parker.