It’s a big year for the 2026 Dallas Cowboys as they aim for a deep playoff run one season after missing the cut. And it’s an even bigger year for a handful of Cowboys who could be playing their last year rocking the Star. 

Here is a breakdown of five Cowboys players on contract years whose 2026 season could double as their farewell tour ranked by return likelihood. 

5. S Malik Hooker

• Return likelihood: Extremely low

Starting the list is safety Malik Hooker. The Cowboys have a crowded safety room right now with Jalen Thompson and rookie Caleb Downs, who is expected to start as a nickel before eventually moving around the entire defense by 2027. Factor in P.J. Locke and those are all guys brought in by new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. 

Meanwhile, Hooker is somewhat of a leftover from the Dan Quinn years, and then the Mike Zimmer and Matt Eberflus tenures. Let me be very clear: That doesn’t mean he can’t play. His biggest calling card remains his ability as a pure free safety, the kind of center fielder who can range sideline to sideline. If defensive coordinator Christian Parker wants to keep that mold, he may want the Cowboys to re-sign Hooker in 2027.

But this is a different defense. I’m not sure Parker needs a traditional center fielder, and I actually wonder what Hooker’s snap count looks like this season. 

4. TE Luke Schoonmaker 

• Return likelihood: Very low

The former Cowboys second-round pick came into the organization with second-round-caliber expectations, even if the selection was controversial at the time. In fact, he was brought in to compete with Jake Ferguson for the starting role. The truth is, Schoonmaker failed to meet the expectations in the first few years of his NFL career. Now, 2026 will be a fight for survival. The Cowboys head into training camp with Brevyn Spann-Ford potentially overtaking him for the No. 2 tight end role.

If Schoonmaker doesn’t prove he can hold that job, he’ll need to contribute on special teams. And if he doesn’t do that either, players like Princeton Fant or even undrafted free agents Michael Trigg or DJ Rogers could push him off the 53-man roster entirely. I project Schoonmaker on the roster right now, but he’s not a lock. He needs a strong summer in Oxnard, California.

If that is the case in 2026, I can’t bet on Dallas re-signing him in 2027. I see another team taking a low-risk, high-reward gamble on him. 

3. P Bryan Anger

• Return likelihood: Slightly low 

Punter Bryan Anger is entering a contract year and will be a free agent in 2027. This isn’t me saying the Cowboys won’t want him back. Two factors are at play here, though. First, could Anger consider retirement? By October of 2027, he will turn 39. That is around the time punters start making those decisions, and I think retirement is at least a possibility.

Second, if Anger does want one more season, does he go to the highest bidder or stay in Dallas for the comfort of not having to move? Keep in mind, Anger knows kicker Brandon Aubrey and long snapper Trent Sieg very well by now. The point is that Anger’s return won’t just be about whether the Cowboys want him. He will have to want to be back, and I’m not sure he will.

2. WR George Pickens

• Return likelihood: Coin toss

Wide receiver George Pickens is on the franchise tag for a reason. The Cowboys aren’t ready to commit long term, and multiple scenarios exist for his 2027 future.

Scenario one: Pickens raises his price tag with a dominant, drama-free season and becomes one of the highest-paid receivers in the league. If that happens, maybe the Cowboys let him hit the market or tag him before trading him. We have seen Dallas hesitate about paying multiple players at the same position at the top of the market, and I don’t see them moving on from CeeDee Lamb. So paying him what he will command or even franchise tagging him doesn’t sound like a given to me even if he balls out. 

The other scenario, and I hate to say it, is what if Pickens underwhelms? What if something doesn’t click, either football-wise or attitude-wise? We know the problems with the Pittsburgh Steelers were a whole thing. I don’t have a reason to believe that happens, but that’s exactly why Dallas went the franchise tag route instead of committing long term.

I’d call Pickens roughly a 50-50 shot to return, because the Cowboys have already proved they’re not ready to commit. I don’t think there’s a guarantee that changes in 2027, even if they see what they want from him.

1. LB DeMarvion Overshown

• Return likelihood: High

The player with the highest return likelihood on this list is linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. He’s represented by agent David Mulugheta (same as Micah Parsons and Pickens), so negotiations won’t be easy. Overshown carries a lengthy injury history, and 2024 was the closest the Cowboys got to a full season from him before he suffered a season-ending injury that affected his availability in 2025.

Now at his healthiest, Overshown is apparently gearing up to play some middle linebacker and figures to be an important part of Parker’s defense. If he goes out and has an All-Pro caliber season, which we have seen with our own eyes he has the potential to deliver, he could price himself out of Dallas.

However, a linebacker doesn’t command the kind of contract that a wide receiver or pass rusher does. I still put his return likelihood pretty high. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the Cowboys get something done with Overshown at this year’s training camp. We have learned that it is a time of year they like to make deals happen.