The Dallas Cowboys begin training camp in Oxnard, CA, on Tuesday, July 28, and for the first time in a while, there’s relatively little drama expected when the team reports. At least, for now.
Wide receiver George Pickens, who had a breakout season in Dallas after being traded from Pittsburgh last offseason, is expected to participate in camp and play out the season on the franchise tag (a one-year, $27m deal). The two sides cannot negotiate a long-term deal until the regular season ends (January 10).
Last season was headlined by the beginning of the Brian Schottenheimer era and the end of the Micah Parsons era in Dallas. The Cowboys fielded one of the worst defenses in franchise history while Parsons tore his ACL and missed the Green Bay Packers’ playoff run; Parsons is not expected to return until the middle of the season. The Cowboys finished with 7 wins for the second straight season.
In 2024, Dallas negotiated major extensions for offensive stars Dak Prescott and Ceedee Lamb, who missed part of training camp holding out for that new deal. The extensions made them two of the highest-paid players at their position.
In 2023, it was extensions and holdouts for cornerback Trevon Diggs, who was waived by the team last December, and Zach Martin, who retired last year after a Hall of Fame career. Diggs had 17 interceptions from 2020-’22; he’s played just 22 games and has just three interceptions since.
The Cowboys finished 12-5 for the third straight season, but only won one playoff game during that span.
In 2022, it was trading former lead receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for future draft capital and cap room. Cooper retired last season after two successful seasons with Cleveland and a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills.
In 2021, it was the first big Dak Prescott extension. Prescott played the 2020 season on a $31m franchise tag; he fractured and dislocated his right ankle in the middle of the season and still got that record deal the following spring.
In 2020, it was the arrival of Mike McCarthy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. McCarthy won a lot of regular-season games but never got the Cowboys back to an NFC Championship game.
2019 was the Ezekiel Elliott extension after a long holdout that stretched through the preseason; Elliott became the highest-paid running back in the league but only reached 1,000 yards one more time in his career. The Cowboys finished 8-8.
2018 was the departure of longtime receiver Dez Bryant, who never played serious football again. The Cowboys made it to the playoffs for the final time under former head coach Jason Garrett, who now calls games for NBC’s Football Night in America.
2017, the last season with no drama headed into it, was Dak Prescott’s second as a starter. Longtime starter Tony Romo, who missed most of the 2016 season with a back injury, allowing for Prescott to take the reins, was released by the team and joined CBS Sports, where he still calls NFL games. The Cowboys went 9-7 and missed the playoffs after going 13-3 the year prior.
This season, the team is trying to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2024. Key additions include defensive coordinator Christian Parker and first-round picks Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. Rebuilding the defense while maintaining the high-powered offense will be essential to the Cowboys achieving their first winning season since 2023.
Cowboys camp will include a month in California, including joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints in August, before returning to North Texas to prepare for the final preseason game on Aug. 28 against the Saints. The Cowboys previously hosted the Rams for joint practices last year.
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