The Dallas Cowboys were quiet at the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon, but they did make an eye-opening move in the hours after the buzzer sounded on all league swapping. The team, already notably shorthanded at cornerback, announced it was waiving veteran Reddy Steward from the practice squad.
Steward had been a starter in two of the Cowboys’ three games this season, as the team struggled to find consistency in the secondary amid a rash of injuries to a unit that had been thin on depth to begin with. He played 39 snaps in Week 4 against Houston and 45 snaps in Week 5 against the Buccaneers. The numbers, though, were ugly: Steward allowed 12 receptions in 13 times quarterbacks threw his way, and QBs registered a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 when targeting Steward. Of the 12 cacthes he allowed, two went for touchdowns.
Cowboys Announce Reddy Steward Cut
The Cowboys’ public relations account announced the release of Steward, who had been with the team for the past two seasons, playing 17 games in total and starting seven of him. Last year, in another season devastated by injuries in the secondary, Steward played all 17 games and started five, allowing a 99.3 quarterback rating. Steward had begun his career with the Bears in 2024, and appeared in one game. He was in training camp with the Vikings last season, and the Cowboys scooped him up after Minnesota let him go.
Steward was in training camp with the Cowboys this season, and was dropped down to the practice squad. Coach Brian Schottenheimer had praised him for his versatility and willingness.
In August, the coach said: “Can’t speak enough about a guy like Reddy Steward. Guy moves from nickel, he plays at safety. He does everything right. He’s intelligent. He’s a great communicator. Those guys are hard to find sometimes.”
The Cowboys had elevated Steward from the practice squad three times, and would have needed to give him a 53-man roster spot.
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