Former Dallas Cowboys and 12-year NFL veteran C.J. Goodwin officially retired from the NFL over the weekend. Goodwin, who was not asked by the Cowboys to re-sign, is a reminder of a significant void left on the team with his departure. And his retirement is also a reminder of the team’s struggles on special teams in 2025. 

Goodwin’s retirement not a shocker

If you followed the Cowboys closely this offseason, you knew Goodwin wasn’t coming back. Dallas had re-signed him early in previous offseasons, so a late signing always appeared unlikely. Additionally, the team even handed his No. 29 jersey to rookie Devin Moore.

Still, making it official matters for a player who always found his way back onto the roster despite never playing defense. Goodwin was a special teams ace, a captain, and he played in 80% of the Cowboys’ special teams snaps last year (his snap count was always in that ballpark since 2019). That’s significant production to replace.

I wouldn’t call this a negative loss, though. Goodwin is 36 years old. His 2025 season wasn’t a great one as he missed four tackles. It was time for both franchise and player to move on. 

The Cowboys have a special teams problem

Goodwin’s retirement is really a reminder of a broader issue: poor special teams play. 

Even the Cowboys acknowledged it when they retained special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen. The unit has to be better. Let’s break it down with some numbers. 

The Cowboys were the second-most penalized team in the entire NFL on special teams. They ranked sixth in pre-snap penalties on special teams, the kind that should never happen. Pro Football Focus graded them as the 24th-best special teams unit in the league, and not a single Cowboys player graded in the top 100 among the 200 who played the most snaps.

Now, I know PFF grades aren’t gospel. They’re subjective, and sometimes it’s easy to disagree with them. But ask yourself: did any one player stand out for you on the Cowboys’ special teams unit last season? Exclude kicker Brandon Aubrey and returner KaVontae Turpin from the equation, because those are different roles entirely.

I don’t think you saw a great year from Goodwin. You certainly didn’t see one from Brevyn Spann-Ford, who missed nine tackles on special teams (one of the highest counts in the NFL). Markquese Bell had the second-most penalties by any non-kicker on special teams in the league. That’s two of the Top 5 players on special teams in Dallas last year. 

In other words, the Cowboys should start 2026 with a clean slate on special teams. Forget about last year’s highest snap counts. Everyone’s job should be up for grabs and that might even lead to some roster surprises.

For now, we know about one role they need to fill: The Goodwin role, which mostly focused on punt and kickoff coverage. Training camp will tell us a lot about who steps up. But that’s only a part of the equation.