The Dallas Cowboys are down 1 wide receiver after a veteran decided to step away from football, with Parris Campbell retiring after 7 seasons.
“Cowboys WR Parris Campbell is retiring from the NFL,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account on Wednesday. “The former Ohio State standout was a 2nd-round pick by the Colts in 2019 and also spent time with the Giants and Eagles, winning a Super Bowl in Philadelphia.”
Campbell signed a reserve/futures contract with the Cowboys on January 6.
“The Cowboys placed wide receiver Parris Campbell on the reserve/retired list Tuesday,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on X. “He spent most of his time on the practice squad last year, appearing in one game. He was a second-round pick of the Colts in 2019. He had 123 catches for 1,117 yards and 6 TDs in his career.”
Campbell retires with approximately $10.6 million in career earnings. He 1st came to the Cowboys on a 1-year, $1.15 million free-agent contract in March 2025 but was released shortly before the start of the regular season.
Parris Campbell Won Titles in College and NFL
Campbell, 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, won championships in college and in the pros.
He was a 3-time All-Big Ten pick at Ohio State from 2016 to 2018 and won a College Football Playoff National Championship with the Buckeyes as a freshman in 2015.
He saved his best performance for last at Ohio State, with career highs of 90 receptions for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior in 2018.
He solidified his draft stock by running the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.31 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein correctly predicted Campbell would be a 2nd round pick, but overreached when he compared him to Percy Harvin.
“Blue-chip athlete with elite package of size, speed and fluidity as a big slot receiver,” Zierlein wrote in his 2019 pre-draft evaluation. “Campbell’s athletic attributes could create a coverage conundrum if his offensive coordinator puts him in a diversified role that allows him to attack vertically more often. Teams know he’s a gifted athlete, but he needs to add more polish as a route-runner to become a well-rounded target instead of a gadget slot. His upside is bolstered by his traits while his special teams ability and talent with the ball in his hands should level out any bust concerns.”
Campbell struggled mightily with injuries over his 1st 3 seasons — a stretch in which he played just 15 games for the Colts from 2019 to 2021.
Cowboys Could Have NFL’s Elite WR Room
The Cowboys could have the NFL’s elite group of wide receivers in 2026 thanks to a 2-headed monster of NFL All-Pros in George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb came under some scrutiny this offseason for his offseason focus after a video surfaced of him drinking, dancing, and otherwise seeming to have a wonderful time at the OMNIA Nightclub in Las Vegas.
“Oh Boy: Cowboys star WR CeeDee Lamb was caught clubbing at a nightclub in Las Vegas this past weekend,” NFL influencer Dov Kleiman wrote on his official X account with the video of Lamb attached. “Lamb has received immense backlash for this, as most of his peers are already back in the gym training.”
Super Bowl Champion Cowboys WR Retires After 7 Seasons