The Dallas Cowboys have not only brought in some fresh faces to improve their pass rushing rotation, but also some familiar ones. Tyrus Wheat spent two years in Dallas’ developmental pipeline before a one-season stop in Detroit. Now back as a free agent, how does Wheat factor into the competition at EDGE?
Background
Years in NFL: 3
Acquired by: Free Agent (2026)
Wheat went undrafted in 2023 after three years at Mississippi State, where he led the Bulldogs in sacks every season. Signed after the draft, he did
enough in camp to earn a spot on the practice squad. About a month later, he was called up to the active roster and would appear heavily on special teams over the next 12 games. Wheat made the team in 2024 and appeared in eight games, now seeing more defensive snaps than special teams.
In 2025, Wheat got squeezed off the roster after James Houston’s surprising surge in August. This was a couple of days before the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to Green Bay, but that deal was already in the oven long before final cuts. Even if Dallas had wanted Wheat back after Parsons’ departure, they didn’t have a choice as the Lions claimed him off waivers.
Wheat appeared in 15 games for Detroit, again focusing mostly on special teams. But he did get a career-high 1.5 sacks with the Lions, despite playing on just 66 defensive snaps. He became a free agent this offseason and Dallas signed him just a couple of days after the market opened.
Contract Status
Years Left: 1
2026 Cap Hit: $1.25 million
Wheat is here on just a one-year deal for the league minimum and a small $100k signing bonus. The Cowboys are giving him a low-risk opportunity to compete for a job.
2026 Projections
Role: Backup EDGE
Roster Chance: 35%
We know that Dallas’ pass rush in 2026 will be led by Donovan Ezeiruaku, Rashan Gary, and rookie Malachi Lawrence. James Houston feels fairly certain for a roster spot as well. If the Cowboys do keep at least one more OLB, which seems likely, Wheat feels fairly competitive for it. His biggest worries will be Sam Williams, who is back on his own one-year deal, and the transitioning Marist Liufau.
Williams brings a lot to this down-roster competition. He’s a former second-round pick and was an emerging force on special teams last year. Some feel he could thrive as an OLB instead of the 4-3 DE he’s been playing since 2022. If Williams takes to the new scheme, he might even threaten Houston for time. That would make it very tough to Wheat to break through.
We may not have high hopes for Liufau in this move to OLB, but you never know what August will bring. And he’ll still have the versatility to play inside if needed, which is still a question mark for Dallas before camp. If Liufau can hang on as a versatile LB with his own solid special teams ability, that could make him more attractive for a roster spot.
Still, Wheat’s special teams value will serve him well in decisions about the bottom of the roster. He also has OLB experience from his college days, so that could help him now in Dallas. As we saw last summer with James Houston, Dallas is more than happy to give the work to whoever’s best suited for it. Houston nearly pushed Williams off the roster in 2025, and Wheat will have every opportunity to beat him out now.
Check out our previous player profiles from this series:
