The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2026 offseason with a pretty major concern on the offensive line. The team had undergone a rough close to the season at left tackle, which remains the most important position on the offensive front. There was talk of benching starter Tyler Guyton in favor of Nate Thomas, or even moving Tyler Smith to the spot. But as training camp and the preseason have moved forward, it’s not Guyton who is the big concern: It’s his bookend, Terence Steele.
As the summer has progressed, it appeared that if any of the members of the offensive line were to lose their starting jobs heading into the season, or in the early weeks of the year, Steele was the top candidate. It is a problem that should be familiar by now–the Cowboys have been dealing with Steele’s struggles in pass protection for years now.
But the concern is that there’s enough evidence to say that Steele is just not the same player he was back when the Cowboys gave him an $87 million contract–and he likely won’t ever be.
Terence Steele ‘Is What He Has Been’
This week, Cowboys beat writer Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted that Steele has been the worst of the linemen when it comes to pass protection, and that he has been a consistent source of pressure on quarterback Dak Prescott.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Harris was asked whether Steele has regressed. He said, “I think Terence Steele is what he has been. He’s given you lapses in pass protection over the course of the last four seasons. The run-blocking stuff is still good, I think that is why he will be starting when Week 1 comes around, but the pass-protection stuff, it hasn’t improved.
“Too many times over the last three or four seasons, you know, we’ve seen him lead this team in pressures given up and sacks allowed. It looks like that trend is heading toward the same trajectory.”
Cowboys Have Not Gotten the Same Terence Steele Since His ACL Injury
And it is not really even a trend for the Cowboys. It’s just been a cold fact. Steele was a promising young tackle in 2022 when he tore his ACL late in his third NFL season. He came back the next season, and the Cowboys bet that he would regain his form, giving him that massive contract before the 2023 season.
Consider the pressures and sacks (per PFF) Steele allowed in his first three seasons: 2020, 48 pressures, nine sacks; 2021, 31 pressures, two sacks; and 2022, 20 pressures, 1 sack.
And the same numbers after returning from the ACL tear: 2023, 56 pressures, eight sacks; 2024, 41 pressures, nine sacks; 2025, 52 pressures, six sacks.
Cowboys Testing Other Options
The Cowboys have to much talked about Steele’s post-injury decline, but they’ve made it clear that they’re taking action on it. In March, Steele took a $13 million pay cut by essentially signing a new contract, reducing his total remaining contract to $33 million over the next three years.
The Cowboys have, at times this offseason, given looks to Thomas and rookie Drew Shelton at right tackle in place of Steele. Neither is likely to replace Steele anytime soon, but it is something that is weighing on the Cowboys.
As coach Brian Schottenheimer said this month, “Terence Steele’s got to play a little bit more consistent. He has had a couple of days where it has been a little drop in his pads and getting edged a little bit.”
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