The first big plot twist of the 2026 Dallas Cowboys offseason has arrived
The Dallas Cowboys’ team needs slightly changed in urgency with the latest injury news ahead of free agency.
The Dallas Cowboys defensive needs are so many that only a handful of players can be penciled in as projected starters as of today. One of those is second-year edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku.
However, with the latest injury news, Ezeiruaku’s short-term future gets a little blurrier. And edge rusher gets closer to the top of the Cowboys’ team needs ahead of free agency.
Ezeiruaku recovering from surgery
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Ezeiruaku went through hip surgery five weeks ago. The procedure is expected to limit him during the Cowboys’ offseason program, but he is expected to be ready for training camp, which starts in late July.
Despite the positive expectations for training camp, the Cowboys have dealt with training camp timetables not going as they expected before.
The worst part of it all is that the offseason is a crucial development window for young players like Ezeiruaku. He is the lone certainty the team can count on at a very uncertain edge rusher room, and now the coaching staff has to wait until camp to see where he’s at.
Going into free agency, the Cowboys are expected to add an edge rusher to pair with Ezeiruaku. With the news, the urgency to find him a strong running mate increases.
Fortunately, Dallas expects Ezeiruaku back for camp. Underestimating a player’s timetable to return has cost the Cowboys in the past (see: Jourdan Lewis, Shavon Revel Jr., Trevon Diggs, and others). Hopefully, that isn’t the case here.
Cowboys expected to attack edge rusher
Though linebacker and cornerback are many fans’ primary concerns, insider Jeremy Fowler from ESPN expects the Cowboys to target edge rusher in free agency.
“The Cowboys will monitor the top of the pass-rush free agent options, too,” Fowler wrote in a recent intel article. “They aren’t guaranteed to spend big, but I believe they will get a pass rusher at some point.”
Ezeiruaku’s surgery only adds clarity to Fowler’s reporting.
As of now, the Cowboys have no healthy edge rushers on the roster worthy of being considered starting-quality. Veteran Jadeveon Clowney is a pending free agent. Other than Ezeiruaku, the only edge rusher under contract for 2026 is James Houston.
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