The Dallas Cowboys are staring at another moment of truth. After a season that never really clicked, the team seems stuck between fixing today and building for tomorrow. The 2026 NFL Draft looms large, with Cowboys Nation craving youth and balance. However, before the draft talks take over AT&T Stadium, a familiar veteran stepped forward. He aired out private struggles and followed it up with a clear message for Jerry Jones.

According to insider Nick Harris, Cowboys defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. wants to stay right where he is. More importantly, he made it clear that for him, Dallas feels like home.

“For sure. This is my home. I can have a really good role here. As long as I’m healthy, I’m good. It was just one of those years.”

Financially, the ask is simple. Fowler played the 2025 season on a one-year deal with $5 million guaranteed, including a $3 million signing bonus and a $6 million average salary. So logically, his pitch to Jerry Jones lines up with that number again. If the Cowboys bring him back, it will likely mean another deal around $5.1 million.

Still, money was not the real story Fowler shared. Instead, he opened up about a brutal year behind the scenes. He dealt with multiple injuries and admitted the grind took a toll. Among them was an AC joint issue that never fully let him breathe. As a result, the season felt heavier than the stats showed.

“Defensively, this was probably one of my worst years. I was beat up a lot, so I got to go back to the drawing board. I’ll get my agent and my dad, see some doctors, and get my body back right … I tried to make the most out of what I got, but defensively, it sucked. Not going to lie,” Fowler said.

After playing 20 games with the Commanders in 2024, including three playoff battles, Fowler entered the next offseason worn down. He never fully recovered. Consequently, a year after posting 10.5 sacks and 39 tackles, his 2025 numbers dipped hard. He finished with just three sacks and 15 tackles.

By the end of his Cowboys season, he recorded only two tackles over the final four weeks and none in the season finale against the Giants. After spending a season that never got going, free agency now awaits him. Meanwhile, Jerry Jones has plenty on his plate.

Jerry Jones has to sort out many contract situations

Jerry Jones’ Cowboys are still chasing an end to a 30-year Super Bowl drought. As owner and GM, Jones understands the road to 2026 comes with tough calls. Contracts, cap space, all of it sits on his desk, with Cowboys Nation watching every move closely. So naturally, the approach to roster building matters.

Before the 2025 season, the Cowboys shifted gears in a big way. They signed 11 outside free agents, including Javonte Williams, Dante Fowler, and Solomon Thomas. That was a sharp jump from 2024, when only two external players arrived. Because of that, the question now becomes simple. Will Jones stay aggressive again, or pull back this time around?

Jones himself admitted nothing is locked in yet.

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“I don’t know,” Jones said in an interview with 105.3 The Fan.

“We’ll see where we are with our own players. We’ll be active, but the question is the degree of activity. I can’t imagine not doing things in free agency.”

At the same time, free agency is not just about outsiders. Several Cowboys are set to hit the open market as unrestricted free agents. Among them, George Pickens stands out the most. His situation could define how Dallas handles the rest of the offseason and how flexible Jones stays with the checkbook.

Pickens could not have timed his breakout better. His 2025 season put him in rare company. He joined CeeDee Lamb and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin as the only Cowboys with at least 1,400 receiving yards in a single season. That kind of production raises the price fast.

Now, all eyes turn to Jerry Jones and how he plans to juggle it all in the coming days.