Dallas Cowboys’ unexpected quarterback decision among three biggest surprises from initial 53-man roster
We’ve got a Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster. The Cowboys finalized their roster cuts to comply with the league’s 4:00 p.m. ET deadline to reach the 53-player limit on Tuesday.Though many moves will follow before next week’s NFL Kickoff between the Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, a handful of moves from Tuesday came as surprises. Let’s […]
We’ve got a Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster.
The Cowboys finalized their roster cuts to comply with the league’s 4:00 p.m. ET deadline to reach the 53-player limit on Tuesday.
Though many moves will follow before next week’s NFL Kickoff between the Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, a handful of moves from Tuesday came as surprises. Let’s break them down.
1. QB Will Grier cut
The Cowboys have put a lot of trust on QB Joe Milton ahead of the 2025 NFL season and it shows by their release of Will Grier. Milton had ups and downs throughout the preseason but inaccuracy issues settled down versus the Atlanta Falcons last week.
Now granted, Grier is a vested veteran which means he doesn’t have to go through waivers. It’s entirely possible he’s re-signed to the practice squad. Brian Schottenheimer said Tuesday Grier’s camp was already looking at options across the league.
“I thought Joe (Milton) settled in a little bit,” Schottenheimer told reporters when discussing the decision to carry only two quarterbacks. “We feel good about his direction and where he can go.”
1. NT Mazi Smith makes the cut
Being a former first round draft pick didn’t help Mazi Smith from being perceived as a roster bubble player this preseason. However, he did enough to earn a spot on Brian Schottenheimer’s team. We’ll see what his role looks like after playing deep into the preseason finale.
This feels like Smith’s last chance to make a name for himself with the Cowboys. I projected him as a cut in my final roster prediction.
“Part of the conversation with Mazi [was] ‘hey, nothing is guaranteed,” Schottenheimer said. “I wanted Mazi to know this has nothing to do with you being a first-round draft pick.”
3. OL Asim Richards trade
Early in training camp, Richards appeared to be squarely in the mix for the backup left tackle job, which he later lost to second-year player Nate Thomas. However, what I didn’t see coming is him being traded away at the cutdown deadline.
The Cowboys’ compensation for Richards—a 2028 Day 3 pick swap—says he would’ve been waived otherwise. A partial explanation is sixth-round rookie tackle Ajani Cornelius getting a spot on the roster.
Dallas Cowboys News
Dallas Cowboys’ 2025 initial 53-man roster: Preseason darling that fans badly wanted on the team makes the cut
Roster is set.
