Cowboys: Terence Steele agrees to $87 million contract extension
The Dallas Cowboys kicked off Saturday morning with a bang as news broke about their new deal with starting right tackle Terence Steele. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Steele has agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $86.8 million and a maximum value of $91.8 million. The contract also includes $50 million guaranteed. Before the deal, […]
The Dallas Cowboys kicked off Saturday morning with a bang as news broke about their new deal with starting right tackle Terence Steele.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Steele has agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $86.8 million and a maximum value of $91.8 million. The contract also includes $50 million guaranteed.
Before the deal, Steele was set to become a free agent next March. By signing him to an extension, the Cowboys have one fewer thing to worry about in what should be a very busy 2024 offseason.
The news makes Steele the eighth highest-paid right tackle in the league at an average value of $17.36 million per year in new money. Previously, the former 2020 undrafted free agent was set to make a little over four million this year under the restricted free agent tender assigned to him by the Cowboys.
Steele suffered a season-ending torn ACL last year and has rehabbed in time for the start of the regular season, getting significant work done during training camp. Now, he aims to bounce back strong next to Zack Martin on the right side of the offensive line.
Steele is really one of the biggest reasons why the Cowboys are hoping the running game is much more efficient this season. He and Martin shared tremendous chemistry on double teams and mauled defenders week in and week out to open up running lanes for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Once Steele went down last year, so did the running game as the Cowboys felt his absence in the trenches.
But even in pass pro, Steele has developed into a very good tackle, often an undervalued part of his game.
The extension is bound to raise some questions about the Cowboys' salary cap strategy in the not-too-distant future. The team has now paid big money to Trevon Diggs, Steele, Martin, and Pollard this offseason. But their to-do list remains significantly long.
Will they play hardball on Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and eventually Micah Parsons when he becomes eligible next year? We'll find out. For now, you've got to be excited about Steele sticking around.
Featured image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
