Cowboys Create Cap Space Ahead of Season
Date: Sept. 3, 2026, 8:38 p.m. CT
The Dallas Cowboys have once again engaged in contract negotiations as the new NFL season approaches. Owner Jerry Jones has a knack for making headlines right before the season’s start. Last year, he traded Micah Parsons just days before their Thursday Night Football opener. Two seasons ago, he signed Dak Prescott to a record-breaking contract on opening day.
This time around, the Cowboys restructured contracts for Kenny Clark, DaRon Bland, and Jake Ferguson, creating an impressive $19 million in cap space. Starting the day with $15.9 million, the team’s total cap space now sits at just under $35 million—ranking sixth in the NFL.
Potential Moves in the Works
While this restructuring provides financial security to these veterans, it raises questions about future acquisitions. One notable player, WR George Pickens, is unable to secure an extension due to his franchise tender, while others who require considerable investments have already been managed.
Unused salary cap space can carry over into the next season, leading to careful considerations about how the Cowboys deploy this newfound flexibility. The strategy appears to allow them to maximize their capacity for potential acquisitions, particularly ahead of the trade deadline, which falls after Week 9.
If the Cowboys had not acted quickly, they would have lost the opportunity to adjust player salaries after eight weeks of payouts.
Their current cap space positions them to make significant moves without the immediate pressure of restructuring contracts, offering them more strategic choices as the season unfolds.
