I’ve been trying to figure out why the Dallas Cowboys are looking like they won’t sign Stephon Gilmore ahead of the 2025 NFL season. And even if I don’t love it, I might have an explanation.

But first, some context: One week into training camp, the Cowboys are down multiple cornerbacks due to injury. Second-year player Caelen Carson suffered a knee hyperextension that’s expected to knock him out for four to six weeks. He joins Trevon Diggs, Shavon Revel Jr., and Josh Butler among the team’s injured corners.

Assuming Diggs and Carson can’t go Week 1, the Cowboys’ starting lineup will likely feature Kaiir Elam, DaRon Bland, and…. Who, exactly? Andrew Booth has turned heads early in camp, but Dallas paid the price for trusting him in a starting caliber last season. Israel Mukuamu has proven to hold his own in the slot, but in a very limited sample size. Kemon Hall has zero career starts after arriving at the NFL level in 2019. Troy Pride has had some moments in camp, but doesn’t scream confidence as a starter either.

This is all to say, the Cowboys could use a proven veteran like Gilmore, who started for the Cowboys in 2023 and remains a free agent, a little over a month away from the 2025 regular season. So why not sign him?

First of all, there’s the possibility that Gilmore doesn’t want to sign just yet. He wouldn’t be the only battle-tested veteran trying to save himself from going through the hassle that is training camp. Last year, Gilmore signed in mid-August with the Minnesota Vikings, for whom he started 15 games. The Vikings were one of the best defenses in the league in 2024.

But there could be more to it. And while I’ll make it clear this is speculation, I think there might be a reason why the Cowboys are hesitant to pay Gilmore.

The Cowboys might not be willing to start Stephon Gilmore if they sign him

For starters, this shouldn’t be an issue. Gilmore would still be worth every penny if brought on board as a depth piece while Trevon Diggs returns from injury or while the team figures out if Kaiir Elam is good enough to start on Matt Eberflus’ scheme after struggling in Sean McDermott’s at Buffalo.

But the Cowboys are usually hesitant to sign free agents, and Gilmore could cost them over $5 million. Are they willing to pay that sum if they’re not sure they’d start him?

Say the Cowboys believe Trevon Diggs will be back earlier rather than later. Let’s assume he doesn’t even start on an injured list and he misses under four games. The coaching staff appears to be all-in on Elam, so they could feel comfortable with the two manning the outside corner assignments while sliding DaRon Bland inside to replace Jourdan Lewis in the slot. Bland practiced at nickel this offseason in OTAs and minicamp.

A cornerback trio made up of Diggs, Elam, and Bland could be enough for the Cowboys to feel confident about their starters. At that point, would they want to spend veteran money on Gilmore? Maybe not.

Again, I’m speculating here, and I believe the Cowboys should still get Gilmore even if they view him as depth. But I believe not signing him makes so little sense that I had to look for an explanation for their apparent lack of interest. If they don’t target him before the start of the season, this might be why.