Let’s put aside, for a moment, one of the parlor games that Dallas Cowboys fans and observers like to play when it comes to the wide receiver room and how it will shape up into the future–you know, what if George Pickens outplays CeeDee Lamb, what if Ryan Flournoy makes Pickens expendable, and so on.
The fact is that Flournoy’s production last year was remarkable, and his journey from three small schools (Central Missouri State, Iowa Western, Southeast Missouri State) to Cowboys sixth-rounder and practice squadder to potential star is certainly unique. He was a reliable presence on the field for the Cowboys, and quickly gained the trust of Dak Prescott.
That was only Flournoy’s second NFL season. Coach Brian Schottenheimer raved about Flournoy and his improvement this spring, and Flournoy said he sees even bigger things ahead. “The vision I’ve got for myself is greatness,” Flournoy said.
Ryan Flournoy: ‘I Know I Belong’
The Cowboys enter the 2026 season with the best wide-receiver room in the league, and while Pickens and Lamb are the headliners, Flournoy is arguably the best WR3 in the NFL, finishing last year with 40 catches, 475 yards and four touchdowns. That included two 100-yard games when Lamb was out with an injury, then a concussion.
The big games he produced last season have amped up his confidence heading into this year, he said.
“It definitely had a big impact on it, just because I know I belong,” Flournoy said. “I know the offense now, I know how to operate as a professional. Coming in from college, coming in from a small school, you kind of get drowned out. Just trying to navigate what works for you and seeing what works for others, my confidence skyrocketed after I found what worked for me.”
Cowboys See Ryan Flournoy Earning Opportunity ‘The Right Way’
And Schottenheimer raved not only about what Flournoy looked last year for the Cowboys, but the fine-tuning he has done to his game since.
It’s a long quote–Schottenheimer did not hold back–but here’s what he said: “What I would say, just doing incredible. I think you saw it last year, two 100-yard games, you saw him really just do it on a consistent basis. He’ll be the first one on the practice field, he will be the last one to leave. Anytime Dak wants to throw, he will be out there making himself available. I think that’s huge—I think that’s part of that me-to-you factor that is so important when you’re talking about a quarterback-receiver timing and discipline and things like that.
“But he earned it the right way. He earned through special teams, he earned it by doing the run-blocking, by doing things in the run game, the dirty work, if you will. Now he is one of those guys who, because he does everything right, Dak doesn’t hesitate when he looks at him. He just turns it loose, throws it to a spot and he has rewarded us with very, very big-time performances.”
Cowboys Getting a More Vocal Leader
Part of the key for his development with the Cowboys has been Flournoy’s ability to process and bounce back from adversity and in way, he was lucked to deal with that often during his first two seasons. He was waived at the end of training camp the last two years, and re-signed to the practice squad. It was not until September 13 last year that he was firmly signed to the 53-man roster.
“I had a lot of pressure on me,” Flournoy said. “Not that anybody else put it on me, but I put it on myself, because I was [from] a small school. I felt like I had a lot to prove.”
But that’s changed.
“As I started to learn and started to go out there and play freely and play football, I kind of stepped into myself,” Flournoy said. “Not just relying on myself, but relying on the vets, and seeing how they deal with bad games or how they deal with adversity.”
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