Updated March 28, 2026, 1:45 p.m. CT
Cowboys ink $11M, former Bears 3rd-round pick with DL coach ties to help stop run
The Dallas Cowboys continue working on their roster depth, signing another veteran defensive lineman to help with the workload for the upcoming season. Jonathan Bullard, who spent last season with the New Orleans Saints, is going to join the fold as he reunites with Cowboys DL coach Marcus Dixon, whom he worked with for years in Minnesota.
Bullard, entering his 11th season in the NFL, played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2022 through 2024, where he spent time with Dixon his final year in the purple. A former third-round pick of the Chicago Bears out of Florida, the run defender Bullard has earned over $11 million in his pro career that’s also seen him play for Arizona, Seattle and Atlanta.
The one-year deal is worth at most, $2.5 million. Bullard has just 6.5 career sacks, and has spent slightly more snaps on the field on run downs over the last five years of his career. He’s expected to be a rotational piece along the club’s new 3-4 defensive front, highlighted by Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark.
The Cowboys sported one of the worst defenses in recent memory in 2025, prompting the firing of Matt Eberflus after just one season. Christian Parker, formerly the secondary coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, became the team’s fourth DC in four years, but is transitioning the club’s attack style. Dallas has clearly made a priority of adding run defenders up front, with the trade for edge Rashan Gary with the Packers, and signing Otito Ogbonnia in free agency.
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The Cowboys allowed the most points (511) in the NFL last season.