For the last six years, counting Terence Steele out has proven hazardous to your offseason analysis. The Dallas Cowboys’ right tackle keeps coming back for more doubts and naysaying, and that won’t change in 2026. Next up in our roster rundown series, Steele enters Year 7 with more job security than ever.
Background
Years in NFL: 6
Acquired by: 2020 UDFA
As a San Antonio native and Texas Tech alum, it’s no surprise that Steele was on Dallas’ radar in the 2020 draft cycle. He signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted
free agent and was able to beat out veteran Cameron Erving for a backup role. That quickly became a starting job when La’el Collins ended up on IR with a hip injury just before the start of the regular season.
Despite starting 14 games, Steele had his struggles as a rookie. For an undrafted player who entered the league during the COVID-19 pandemic, that’s hardly surprising. It was also Mike McCarthy’s first season, so there wasn’t much stability for him to latch onto. Steele did get benched for two weeks after some major on-field gaffes, leading to Zack Martin’s brief move to tackle. But Steele soon returned to finish out the year as the starter, getting valuable reps once Dallas had fallen to 3-8 and had given up on the season.
One of the true undrafted success stories, Steele has held that job ever since. Over the next few years, he emerged as one of the league’s top run blockers. His pass protection has always been average at best, but the Cowboys have lived with it while working on other parts of the offensive line. As the team has had to move on from Martin, Travis Frederick, and Tyron Smith since his arrival, Steele has at least provided stability on an otherwise transitioning front five. He hasn’t missed a game in the last three years.
Some fans wish Steele had missed more time, preferably from not being on the roster. He has his bad moments for sure: a blown pass block or costly penalty that severely hurts the offense. According to Pro Football Focus, Steele’s performance declined to being just 55th among all NFL offensive tackles last year. That’s obviously not good in a 32-team league. But the silver lining there is that Steele started slow and finished strong, perhaps needing time to adapt to new OC Klayton Adams.
Given this downward trend overall, Steele’s been viewed as a potential salary cap casualty the last few years, with 2026 having the highest probability yet. But with things still unsure on the left side with Tyler Guyton’s development, Dallas decided to stick with the devil they know at right tackle. And with recent modifications to his contract, Steele’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Contract Status
Years Left: 3
2026 Cap Hit: $8.73 million
Rather than take advantage of potential cap space by releasing Steele this offseason, the Cowboys restructured his deal to gain the space but also keep the player. His 2026 salary was reduced to the veteran minimum and money was converted to guaranteed bonuses, which increased Steele’s job security. He now has $34 million in dead money against the contract, which only goes down to $26 million next year. The next off ramp isn’t until 2028, so there’s a good chance that Steele is your starting right tackle for the next two years.
2026 Projections
Role: Starting RT
Roster Chance: 100%
The Cowboys all but confirmed Steele’s the starter with the contract change. It makes sense given the uncertainty with Guyton on the other side. Steele’s far from elite on one end, but his improved play in the second half of 2025 at least give you some comfort. With Dak Prescott’s blindside protection more crucial, Dallas seems to be focusing on that area and settling for Steele’s continued work.
While the money does lock Steele into a roster spot, at least for the next two years, it doesn’t fully guarantee a starting job. A lot can happen over the next few months with young prospects like Nathan Thomas, Ajani Cornelius, or rookie Drew Shelton. What if the Cowboys get to late August and decide that Thomas would be a better starter at RT? Or maybe Shelton impresses early at LT and they try Guyton on the right side? Steele would certainly be a very expensive backup, but the most important thing is getting your best guys on the field.
Again, these scenarios are just possibilities and not predictions. We expect Steele to be back at his usual post, hopefully healthy and performing better with coaching continuity on offense. He may very well be the weak point of the group, but that hasn’t stopped from Dallas from having a highly-effective offense multiple times during his run. As long as he can keep standout in the run game, the Cowboys are willing to tolerate the warts.
Check out our previous player profiles from this series:
C Cooper Beebe
G Tyler Booker
S Alijah Clark
EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku
TE Jake Ferguson
S Malik Hooker
LB Shemar James
G Trevor Keegan
FB Hunter Luepke
RB Phil Mafah
WR Jonathan Mingo
CB Devin Moore
LS Trent Sieg
EDGE Tyrus Wheat
EDGE Sam Williams
