Ryan Flournoy showed major improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 of his burgeoning NFL career. Now the Cowboys are rewarding the wide receiver with a hefty pay raise just ahead of his third pro season.
The 26-year-old Illinois native and the Cowboys have agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension worth up to $6 million, according to a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz
. That's up from a 2026 base salary of $1.075 million, per Spotrac.Flournoy was a sixth-round draft pick in 2024 out of Southeast Missouri State. Having methodically worked his way up through a college career that included prior stops at D-II's Central Missouri and then Iowa Western Community College, Flournoy then climbed the ranks through a crowded wide receiver depth chart
just to make the team in Dallas. As a rookie, he reeled in 10 catches for 102 yards across 11 game appearances. He ended the season a lackluster 12th on the team in receiving targets.
Sources: The #Cowboys and WR Ryan Flournoy have agreed to a 1-year contract extension worth up to $6M.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 11, 2026
Flournoy is coming off a career year with 40 catches for 475 and 4 TDs. He’s expected to have an even bigger role in the offense this season as the solidified WR3 and now gets… pic.twitter.com/p04Q0S80A9
Last season saw the 6-foot-1-incher actually get cut in late August. But then he not only got re-signed to the practice squad but, once promoted, developed even further into the offense's true WR3. Over 16 games, Flournoy finished behind only George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, and Jake Ferguson in targets, receptions, and yards, and his four touchdown catches placed him third on the team for the year.
Flournoy was once set to become a restricted free agent at the end of this season, Instead, he's become a reliable weapon within the Dallas passing game, impressing both quarterback Dak Prescott and his Cowboys coaches.
"Here's a guy from a small school that's come in and really adapted to the way we teach route breaks and releases and speed terms and power cuts and things like that," head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Flournoy this offseason. "I really think the sky's the limit for him and he's definitely a guy we see finding ways to get him the ball."
And now they've found a way to get him the money, binding him to the team through the 2027 campaign.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Late-round Cowboys draft pick was cut, now gets early $6M extension
