Earlier in January, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters he was incentivized to “bust the budget” following Dak Prescott’s impressive 2025 season, in which he finished as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. On Friday, Jones got yet another reason to push his chips in.

The NFL informed clubs the salary cap is, once again, taking a massive leap. And it could seriously impact how the Cowboys go about things in this year’s free agency frenzy. Below is everything you need to know about the latest salary cap news and what it means for the Cowboys.

2026 projected cap exceeds $300M

For the 2025 NFL season, the salary cap sat at $279.2 million. In 2026, the league projects it to jump between $301.2 million to $305.7 million, per multiple reports.

Now granted, while it gives all teams some room for maneuvering, it also raises the players’ demands across the board, so some of the impact is nullified. However, for the Cowboys, it makes salary cap management even easier, especially for players already under contract.

As of right now, the Cowboys are projected to be $31.4 million over the cap. That is the third-lowest cap space in the league right now. However, doing a quick exercise using Over the Cap, restructures to the following players would open up nearly $110 million:

• QB Dak Prescott
• WR CeeDee Lamb
• LG Tyler Smith
• DT Quinnen Williams
• DT Osa Odighizuwa
• TE Jake Ferguson

Per OTC’s projections, the Cowboys could jump to $79 million in cap space, which would be the third most in the NFL. Now granted, it’s easier said than done. Restructures do push today’s cap hits into tomorrow, but aggressive teams trying to go all in spend cash over cap, kicking the can down the road to build the best possible team today.

If the Cowboys want to do that, they can. And even more so with the latest cap news.

Cap casualty candidates

Beyond restructures, the Cowboys could also aim to cut players with high cap hits to free cap space, especially if they don’t fit with their vision for 2026. I would consider the following players cap casualty candidates and how much their releases would free up:

• RT Terence Steele, $8.75 million
• LB Logan Wilson $6.85 million
• S Malik Hooker $6.52 million
• DT Solomon Thomas, $2.47 million

With many needs to tend to, one thing is clear: The Cowboys will need a proactive season if they want to be contenders in 2026. That starts with aggressive cap management and as Jerry Jones hinted at, busting the budget. Will he do it, though?

I need to see it to believe it.

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