The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in what is becoming a frustratingly familiar position heading into the offseason. After completely mismanaging their contract negotiation with superstar defender Micah Parsons, the Cowboys inadvertently tanked their 2025 campaign by trading him to the Green Bay Packers right before the start of the season. Without Parsons, Dallas struggled and missed the playoffs entirely.
As a result, it’s clear that this is an important offseason, particularly for Jerry Jones when it comes to stocking up the roster with talented players for the 2026 campaign and beyond. With several impending free agents, Jones has some big decisions he’s going to have to make, with one of the more underrated Cowboys’ players set to hit the open market being offensive lineman T.J. Bass.
Cowboys Face Big Decision on T.J. Bass Ahead of Free Agency
Bass didn’t get selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he has carved out a role for himself with the Cowboys on their offensive line. Working primarily as a backup guard, Bass has the versatility to play on both sides of the line, and he can also fill in at center when needed. While he hasn’t gotten much playing time early in his career, Bass has held his own when he’s found himself on the field.
With injuries flaring up across the o-line in 2025, Bass started five games for Dallas, and there wasn’t a notable dropoff in production from the unit when he was on the field. While he may not have much tape to his name, Bass’ strong play this past season could convince another team to sign him this offseason.
The thing that gives Dallas the inside track to keep Bass in town is the fact that he’s a restricted free agent. However, with another one of the team’s offensive linemen, Brock Hoffman, in the same situation as Bass, the team could be forced to pick between these two guys. With that in mind, Bass’ free agent situation is a sneaky important subject for the Cowboys’ front office this offseason.
“Bass is one of the more intriguing free-agent decisions for the Cowboys this offseason,” Nick Eatman wrote for the team’s official website. “He could be a young player that gets some attention from other teams because he wouldn’t have an abnormally high price tag but has been effective in limited times … What makes this restricted free agency so tricky is that Bass is in the same situation as Brock Hoffman, who also plays guard and has more experience at center.”
Should the Cowboys Re-Sign T.J. Bass?
GettyThe Cowboys have a sneaky important decision to make on free agent offensive lineman T.J. Bass
Bass has likely shown enough to earn himself an opportunity to play as a starter in the NFL, whether that be with the Cowboys or another team. If he were an unrestricted free agent, that would make things easier for Bass, as he could simply pick and choose where he wants to play, but Dallas has a level of control over his free agency for the time being.
The Cowboys could either sign Bass to a new contract or offer him one of the three available tenders, which would result in them receiving compensation if he were to land with another team. Dallas isn’t going to let Bass leave for nothing, but it will be interesting to see how the team handles his free agency, considering how Hoffman finds himself in a similar spot.
Cowboys Face Major Free Agency Decision on Versatile Lineman