The Dallas Cowboys have done everything they could to improve their roster throughout the last few months.
Some of those moves in the offseason, training camp, and regular season are starting to pay off. Players like Caleb Downs and Joey Porter Jr. are already making an immediate impact.
Some new players, though, have disappointed to the point that they haven’t really been a factor on the team at all. One of them was an expensive risk that hasn’t paid off for the Cowboys. At all.
New Dallas Cowboys Player Has Disappointed in 2026 So Far
The Athletic’s Jon Machota shared some of the defensive stat leaders through the first four games of the season. One notable name was missing from all the top-five lists: Von Miller.
Dallas signed Miller to a one-year, $5.5 million contract during training camp. While he wasn’t seen as an every-down lineman, the Cowboys hoped he could help in passing situations.
Through the first four games, though, Miller really hasn’t done much to impress the fan base. He has only played in 62 defensive snaps all season. Miller has 5 pressures, 4 hurries, and 2 tackles.
Something that might help Miller, though, is that Pro Football Focus has him graded at a 78.5. He has a pass-rush grade of 65.0 and a run-defense grade of 66.4.
Why Has the Dallas Cowboys Not Utilized Von Miller More in 2026?
Dallas’ defense has been a mess all season. They are in the bottom 10 in every major defensive statistical category, including total defense, pass defense, run defense, and scoring.
Not much has gone right for the defense over the past four games. The secondary has been banged up, the defensive line can’t get pressure on the quarterback, and the front seven has struggled to stop the run.
Miller was brought in to help the defense rush the passer more consistently. That was part of the unit that struggled last year after Micah Parsons got traded. So far. Miller has been able to pressure, but isn’t getting the snaps.
That might have to change moving forward if the Cowboys want to be more successful on defense. Miller isn’t the type of player to get an overwhelming amount of snaps, but he has to be on the field more than the 15.5 snaps per game he has right now.
This defense only has four sacks in four games. Miller can be the guy who makes the difference and helps them raise that number after posting nine sacks last year with the Washington Commanders.
Dallas has a chance to fix things and get the defense back on track on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That could be the game where Miller finally explodes onto the scene and becomes the pass rusher the Cowboys have needed all year.
Cowboys’ $5.5 Million Training Camp Pick Up Has Been a Non-Factor in 4 Games