The Dallas Cowboys addressed their porous secondary this offseason by not only using a 1st-round pick on nickelback Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall, but by making the rare big spend on a free agent from another team with Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson, who signed a 3-year, $33 million contract in March.
On Monday, they had to address a different issue with Thompson — his availability.
“Brian Schottenheimer said P.J. Locke (knee) is closer to returning, but not quite ready. Jalen Thompson (hip) will not practice,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on X on Monday. “Schottenheimer mentioned Julius Wood, Alijah Clark have done a good job with extra work.”
Thompson was also out during mandatory minicamp, where he worked on the sideline with rehab director Britt Brown, with P.J. Locke taking his reps.
Before the 2026 free agency cycle started, Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells pointed out a pretty incredible statistic about the Cowboys and how they spend money in the offseason.
“One primary issue with looking at free agency is (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones has been reluctant to really dive into that pool,” Wells wrote in January. “He hasn’t signed an external free agent to a contract worth more than $6 million since Gerald McCoy’s three-year, $18 million deal in March 2020. If the Cowboys are going to significantly address their defense, it will likely come through either the draft or a potential trade.”
Cowboys Didn’t Hesitate to Sign Jalen Thompson
The Cowboys flipped the script with Thompson and are earned some high praise in return, with Pro Football Focus singling out the deal as one of their favorite NFL free-agent signings.
“Thompson was among the most consistent and most underrated safeties in the NFL while playing alongside Budda Baker in Arizona,” PFF’s Zolton Buday wrote. “The Washington State product has earned a PFF overall grade between 68.0 and 72.0 in five of his past six seasons. His 69.2 PFF coverage grade this past season ranked 26th among 93 safeties. Plus, he will be only 28 years old when the 2026 campaign kicks off.”
From Pac-12 Star to Massive Payday With Cowboys
Thompson, 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, was the only player selected in the 2019 NFL supplemental draft, with the Cardinals giving up a 5th round pick for his rights after he earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2017 but wasn’t allowed to play in 2018 after he tested positive for a banned over-the-counter supplement.
For the Cardinals, it turned out to be a pretty stout investment. Thompson started 13 games over his 1st 2 seasons and became a full-time starter for Arizona in 2021 — a job he never gave up.
He’s also cashed in with some pretty significant paychecks, racking up approximately $44.2 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
“The Cowboys made their first splash free-agent agreement since adding cornerback Brandon Carr on a five-year, $50 million deal in 2012,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote after Thompson signed with Dallas. “Thompson fills a major need in the secondary for the Cowboys. He has been a full-time starter the past five seasons with Arizona and has nine career interceptions. He can fill multiple roles for new coordinator Christian Parker and has familiarity on the coaching staff with new corners coach Ryan Smith.”
Cowboys Address Injury Issue With $33 Million Free Agent