No doubt, changes are coming to the Dallas Cowboys defense, with new coordinator Christian Parker on board. That is a good thing, given the fact that the Cowboys rated No. 32 in the league in points allowed last year, and No. 30 in yardage allowed, in addition to rating No. 28 in the NFL in Pro Football Focus’ defensive rankings this season.
But it’s still unclear how the Cowboys’ defense will shape up in 2026. Much of that will depend on personnel, and in that regard, the Cowboys have some units that need to be overhauled altogether.
Dallas is pretty well set in the middle of the defensive line, and probably needs just one or two more edge rushers, depending on what happens with free-agent veteran Jadeveon Clowney. They will certainly need a middle linebacker, a position that has been a drag on the D in the last three years.
And then comes the defensive backfield, which is where the Cowboys figure to get the biggest overhaul.
Cowboys Safeties, Including Malik Hooker, Struggled
The Cowboys defensive backs were expected to be a strength last year, but with injuries to DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, a reliable group never materialized there. That dinged the cornerbacks room, but the safeties were also a problem. Juanyeh Thomas struggled with migraines, Markquese Bell and Donovan Wilson were overmatched in more significant roles and even the top safety in the room, Malik Hooker, did not have a good year.
Hooker, a starter for the last three seasons, missed five weeks with a toe injury, and when he did play, recorded a PFF grade of 60.8, the lowest of his career, rated just 64th out of 91 safeties in the NFL. It says something about the state of the Cowboys’ safeties that Hooker was the top-ranked player in that position group.
Malik Hooker Could Be Cut
If the Cowboys are truly going to revamp that portion of the defense, though, they might not merely seek to bring in a new safety, they might bring in a new fleet of them. That could put Hooker and the $9 million on his contract in 2026 (part of a three-year, $21 million contract) in jeopardy.
That’s how Jon Machota of The Athletic sees it, at least.
In a post titled, “One potential 2026 salary-cap cut for every NFL team,” Machota wrote: “The Cowboys are unlikely to have a notable salary-cap cut. Right tackle Terence Steele could be a possibility, but it would make more sense financially to keep him for at least one more year. There’s also the defensive tackle position, where Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark are all making more than $20 million per season.
“However, it doesn’t sound like the Cowboys have interest in letting any of them walk. That leaves Hooker, who is entering the final year of his deal. Releasing him would save Dallas about $6.8 million against the cap. But that all greatly depends on how new defensive coordinator Christian Parker feels about Hooker and a safety position that isn’t very strong.”
Cowboys Could Rebuild Safety Group on the Cheap
The Cowboys could rebuild the safety room pretty easily with just a couple of transactions, and as NFL salaries go, safety remains one of the spots that can be filled on the cheap. Hooker, for example, is slated to be the 17th highest-paid safety in the NFL this year.
Cutting him–probably Wilson, too–would allow the Cowboys to lop off some money on the books and free up space to allow Parker to bring in players who fit his own mold. Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, who played under Parker for the past two years, has been cited as a possibility, but there would be plenty of other opportunities to upgrade there, too.
Cowboys’ Longtime Starter Projected as ‘Salary-Cap Cut’