KaVontae Turpin: Everything you need to know

Turpin caught 26 of 38 targets for 396 yards and two touchdowns over 15 games in 2025. He also gained 89 rushing yards on 17 carries and led the NFL in kickoff-return yards with 1,814, while adding 55 punt-return yards. The kickoff-return yards were more than double Turpin's 2024 total, as he took full advantage of the league's revised kickoff rules. The 29-year-old wound up finishing second to the Titans' Chimere Dike in total return yards, but Turpin did fail to take any kicks to the house after scoring twice in 2024 as a return man. With two more years left on his contract, Turpin should be back in 2026 as the Cowboys' primary return specialist and an occasional contributor on offense.

Turpin caught his only target for an 86-yard touchdown in the Cowboys' 30-23 win over the Commanders on Christmas Day. He added 115 yards on five kickoff returns. The one touch on offense tied his season low, but Turpin made it count by settling under a deep toss by Dak Prescott in the second quarter and taking it to the house. It was Turpin's second receiving TD of the season, but his primary value to the Cowboys still comes from his return ability, and his 1,599 kickoff return yards on the year are by far a career high. He'll look to pad those totals a little more in Week 18 against the Giants.

Turpin (shoulder) does not have an injury designation for Thursday's Christmas Day matchup against Washington, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports. Turpin has managed a shoulder injury this week and was listed as limited Monday and Tuesday. However, he was deemed a full participant for Wednesday's practice walkthrough and wasn't given a designation for Thursday's contest. As such, Turpin should serve in his usual role as the Cowboys' lead kick/punt returner versus the Commanders. He could also see more work as a wideout if Ryan Flournoy (knee, questionable) is unable to suit up.