“Embarrassing!” When your superstar quarterback is called out while returning to the locker room after a disappointing night, with the then-winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning 24-16, there are certainly changes to make. That’s what the Dallas Cowboys are doing to Dak Prescott’s offensive line.

“Cowboys waived Nick Leverett,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on X. The Cowboys are parting ways with Leverett after signing him from the practice squad on September 9.

Leverett has been a journeyman all his career, playing 28 total games, with many teams including the Bucs, the New England Patriots, the Arizona Cardinals, and lastly, the Cowboys.

The 29-year-old offensive lineman joined the practice squad back in November 2025, signing a reserve/future contract after the 2025 season and playing a game for the team last season.

He was also highlighted during the offseason, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer noting, “I thought Nick Leverett is a guy that he’s taking command. He’s a center.”

Leverett actually played both guard and center for the team during the preseason, being a versatile option for the Cowboys.

At last, Leverett got the chance after the Cowboys Pro-Bowl guard Tyler Smith got injured with a thumb injury requiring surgery, which got him placed on injured reserve; that meant four games of opportunities for the journeyman.

Leverett has featured in all five games for the Cowboys this season, but wasn’t part of the starting line that has struggled to protect Prescott. He instead totaled 26 snaps on special teams, but wasn’t able to make much of an impact for the team.

As a result, he is now waived, though he could be signed back to the Cowboys’ practice squad if he clears waivers. As for the team, they now have an open spot available on the 53-man roster.

Now, the Cowboys might look for an offensive lineman on the market if one is needed. However, with Smith also returning in the last game, they have the depth for now. Although it hasn’t been enough to protect their cornerstone, who has been getting hits all season.

Dak Prescott Is Not Getting Protected, and This Could Be Alarming for the Cowboys

Prescott had a dominant presence at the start of the season, throwing touchdowns and finding players, and was seen as unstoppable, but that soon changed. The last two games were a warning sign for the offensive line that struggled to back their quarterback.

During the 34-30 win in Week 4 over the Houston Texans, what looked like the “Greatest Offense There Is” was hiding a weak showing from the offensive line, with Prescott getting sacked three times, the most in any game this season.

But the horrors didn’t end there. The last game saw Prescott throwing for a completion percentage of 57.1%; this inaccuracy was the result of the Bucs incredible blitz game, which put Prescott under immense pressure throughout the game.

While Prescott did some shenanigans, like rolling out of his way to not get sacked, this just gave him less time to pass, ultimately resulting in a QB rating of 69.1, including two interceptions, which were actually bounced off by his teammates. Even Schottenheimer was frustrated with the continuous pressure on Prescott.

“Well, I think we didn’t handle the pressures very well,” Schottenheimer said. “I mean, they were moving, and this is nothing new. We’ve been getting blitzed a lot this year anyways, so that’s no different. I think the biggest thing was, again, too many free runners. Dak was taking too many hits, and overall, we just didn’t handle their pressure.”

The Bucs totaled 10 passes defended in the game, with Prescott’s QB rating being the third-lowest rating in the previous 46 games.

Now, with Leverett gone, let’s see how the Cowboys approach their offensive line planning ahead, with a Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers waiting for them.