The Cowboys are seemingly moving on from veteran that spent eight seasons in Dallas, and it has significant implications
The Dallas Cowboys are making changes on special teams, even though they kept coordinator Nick Sorensen. One of them appears to be turning the page on a player with eight years on the team.
Most of the Dallas Cowboys’ team building is done ahead of the 2026 NFL season. With free agency and draft season behind us, the roster sits at 88 of 90 players as of this writing.
That means moves are still coming down the road, but it also means we know the foundation of the roster moving forward.
On Tuesday, the NFL sent out a personnel notice listing unrestricted free agents that weren’t asked to re-sign. And while there are no surprises on the Cowboys front, my eyes stopped at one name that caught me off guard. A name that has been in Dallas for eight consecutive seasons but that appears to not be coming back in 2026.
C.J. Goodwin not asked to re-sign
Officially a cornerback, Goodwin wasn’t on the Cowboys for eight years for his defensive play. Instead, it’s his versatility on special teams what kept him on the team year after year.
Goodwin led the Cowboys in special teams snaps in four of his eight years on the team, including in 2025. He was second in two other seasons. The only exceptions were his first year on the team and 2023, when he missed multiple games due to injury.
Though the Cowboys are still eligible to sign Goodwin, the timing doesn’t add up. Since 2020, every time he re-signed with Dallas, it happened in March.
At 36 years old, it sure seems like Goodwin’s run in Dallas is over. It was good while it lasted, but if it’s indeed the case, the timing makes sense for a Cowboys team looking to shake things up on special teams.
Special teams takes a toll on athletes and 36 years old, it’ll be intriguing to see what happens with Goodwin—whether it’s retirement or landing on another team (former Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel is still in Tennessee).
Cowboys special teams turnover expected
Assuming Goodwin doesn’t re-sign before the season, he will be a part of larger changes expected in Dallas. Here’s a look at last year’s snap count leaders on special teams, per Pro Football Reference:
- CB C.J. Goodwin, 80%
- LB Marist Liufau, 75%
- S Markquese Bell, 63%
- TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, 50%
- TE Luke Schoonmaker 50%
Out of the five players listed above, I’d consider Spann-Ford the only roster lock ahead of the season.
Liufau is changing defensive positions, which is rarely a positive sign for a player’s future on a team. Meanwhile, Bell is good but he’s a part of a loaded safety group being run by a new defensive staff. Lastly, Schoonmaker has failed to live up to the second-round hype.
Though the Cowboys decided to retain special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen, they admitted after the 2025 season they needed to improve. Sorensen will likely have to get the job done with many new faces.