Four days into the new league year, and the Dallas Cowboys still don’t have a starting linebacker. Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, Dallas’ targets, both went to the Las Vegas Raiders. For a while, it looked like Patrick Queen, the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, was the last genuine option on the table. But owner and general manager Jerry Jones had something else planned.

“After a down year in 2025, Pittsburgh and Queen are expected to part ways this offseason, and a trade seems imminent for the former first-round pick,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris writes. “Dallas had some intrigue in the building, but the team officially pulled out of its preliminary interest Thursday afternoon.”

Queen was a legitimate fit for the Cowboys. Signed to a three-year, $41 million contract in Pittsburgh in March 2024, expectations were high from one of the NFL’s highest-paid linebackers. While the numbers didn’t drastically dip, perhaps they didn’t justify the price either.

In his first season, he posted 129 tackles and 7 pass deflections in Pittsburgh. Last season, he followed it up with 120 tackles and four pass deflections. Moving him would have freed up about $13.33 million in Pittsburgh’s salary cap, so it was a win-win for the franchise. But NFL Network’s Jane Slater flagged the warning signs early.

“Seems like the Patrick Queen idea may have hit a snag,” Slater reported on X. “Was told no updates as of this hour and on him specifically, ‘probably not going there.’”

The Steelers were reportedly seeking a mid-round pick. But Jerry Jones had already surrendered a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for defensive lineman Rashan Gary. Spending more draft capital on a player coming off a down year was a bridge too far.

Dallas also held the highest monetary offer for Nakobe Dean, but he chose Vegas. Now DeMarvion Overshown stands as a projected starter with nearly 1,000 career snaps across injury-plagued seasons. Eventually, Dean signed a three-year, $36 million contract with Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David remain as two veteran free agency options. But until a deal is made, the linebacker room looks dangerously thin heading into April.

This is not the first time the Dallas Cowboys have shown interest in a linebacker before ultimately stepping back. Last year, Dallas reportedly explored a potential trade for Quincy Williams from the New York Jets during the trade deadline window. However, reports suggested the asking price proved too steep.

Now, the linebacker void doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s the loudest symptom of a broader free agency run that has drawn sharp criticism of Jerry Jones.

Jerry Jones’ free agency promise still unfulfilled

Jones made a big promise to “bust the budget” in free agency to fix their defense. To a certain extent, he did follow through. By Friday, March 13, Dallas added eight new names to their ranks and sent away two of their defensive tackles. With six defensive players and two on offense, Jerry really did focus on the secondary.

It started with Rashan Gary. When Dallas got Green Bay’s edge rusher, Jerry Jones positioned it as a pass-rush upgrade. But NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha wasn’t impressed. He ranked Jones at the top of his “Biggest Losers” list after Day 1.

“Gary is certainly an upgrade on what Dallas already had on the edge,” Chadiha wrote. “It’s also worth wondering how impactful he will be as a Cowboy. Gary was once considered an ascending talent. A torn ACL in the 2022 season changed all that, he hasn’t been nearly as proficient at pressuring quarterbacks since he was before that injury.”

Chadiha also noted that finances, instead of talent, may have been the driving force behind Jones’ decision.

“The 29-year-old also is set to count for $19.5 million against this year’s cap,” Chadiha wrote. “There’s a reason the Packers were considering releasing him at some point this offseason. Jones certainly found a cheaper option for his pass rush. It remains to be seen if it will be an effective one.”

Rashan Gary does carry credibility and experience. He logged 7.5 sacks in each of the past three seasons (9 sacks in 2023) and got a Pro Bowl nod in 2024.

Gary arrived and immediately took a $6 million pay cut, agreeing to a two-year, $32 million deal with $16 million guaranteed. 

A $13.2 million signing bonus spread over four void years dropped his 2026 cap hit from $19.5 million all the way down to $5.4, giving Dallas immediate breathing room.

The Cowboys also brought OLB Sam Williams back on a modest one-year, $3 million deal. Then came Sam Howell, a former Philadelphia Eagles backup, signed for QB depth. But the Howell move landed poorly with the Cowboys Nation watching defensive starters walk out the door.

Jerry Jones still holds two first-round picks and the capital to move aggressively in trades or the draft. Sonny Styles at Ohio State has been linked to the Cowboys through many mock drafts. But the margin for error is gone. Jones needs to make the big moves he’s already promised.