Getty Dallas Cowboys offensive players, including Terence Steele, huddle up.
The Dallas Cowboys are focused ahead on the New York Giants, and one starter knows he needs a bounce-back performance after the Week 9 loss. The Philadelphia Eagles were all over offensive tackle Terence Steele in the 28-23 contest, but he is taking accountability for the performance.
During a November 10 conversation with reporters, Steele spoke on the Eagles lost for the first time. It’s clear he isn’t pleased, and he believes the issues are just down to his fundamentals.
“It’s just keeping a level head,” Steele said. “Just watching the film, learning from my mistakes. No one is harder on me than myself. It really just came down to me, my fundamentals. Just staying true to it. I got a little sloppy there at the end.”
Steele was responsible for four sacks and gave up 12 pressure according to Pro Football Reference. Considering that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was sacked five times, Steele’s poor showing sticks out even more.
But there is a reason why Dallas and owner Jerry Jones handed Steele a big payday. He earned a huge contract by being a reliable blocker and they’ll count on him to rebound when they take on the Giants Sunday.
Mike McCarthy and Jerry Jones Back Steele
Something that may be making Steele feel better is the support from the Cowboys’ top brass. Both Jerry Jones and Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy have come out with messages of support after the Eagles loss.
McCarthy is betting on Steele to respond against the Giants, labeling the tackle as one of the team’s hardest workers.
“Like he always does, very consistent. He’s one of our hardest workers. I’ll anticipate he’ll respond Sunday, too. He’s had a good week,” McCarthy said according to Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken.
Meanwhile, Jones acknowledged that his mistakes were “impactful” but that he also believes in the former Texas Tech Red Raider will get back to form.
“We got a lot of confidence in Steele. That was a pretty impactful situation we had there with the pressures. But we can do better there. We can do better with help there as well,” Jones said.
Cowboys Tackle’s Latest Payday
Steele spent several years in Dallas playing on a relatively cheap contract. Now, the 26-year-old is making the big bucks. Steele is in the first year of a five-year, $82.5 million deal that has over $50 million guaranteed.
But the first year of the deal is actually on par with what he’s been making before the current deal. As Spotrac shows, the Cowboys have backloaded his contract, meaning he’s only a $4.3 million cap hit this year.
That’s great value, if he’s playing well. Conversely, the Cowboys will need him to be at his best as the years go on. Next season, Steele will count for a $11 million cap hit. After that, the smallest cap hit will be $17 million and and will even be $20 million in 2027.
The Cowboys love to restructure deals as they go along, but they are going to owe Steele a lot of money no matter what. Him bouncing back against the Giants and for the rest of the season is critical.