This wasn’t the season former third-round pick Jalen Tolbert was expecting. With George Pickens exploding into a Pro Bowl-caliber weapon and Ryan Flournoy emerging as a surprise contributor, there hasn’t been much room for Tolbert to shine, until recently.
In the Cowboys' 30-23 win against Washington, Tolbert logged his highest target share of the season with eight. With Ryan Flournoy out, this was a prime opportunity for Brian Schottenheimer to test Tolbert in the final two games of the season.
Tolbert was heavily involved on offense, logging 57 snaps against the Commanders, per Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, which was third-most among Cowboys receivers. The message from Brian Schottenheimer couldn’t be clearer: this is a last-ditch opportunity for Tolbert to prove he should be re-signed in the offseason.
Jalen Tolbert has one final chance to prove he belongs with the Cowboys
After being listed as a healthy scratch in multiple games late in the season, the writing seemed to be on the wall regarding how Schottenheimer views Tolbert. With Ryan Flournoy sidelined against Washington, Tolbert finally saw increased reps and targets, a useful barometer of where he stands in the pecking order.
Even though four catches for 31 yards won’t turn heads, Tolbert’s 57 snaps marked his highest workload since Week 3 against Chicago, when he played 65. These final two games feel like his last real chance to make noise; if he doesn’t, Jerry Jones may have an easy offseason decision waiting for him.
Tolbert's snap counts slowly started to take a back seat after Flournoy's breakout game against the New York Jets, when Flournoy had nine catches for 114 yards. KaVontae Turpin has also been more involved as a WR for the first time this year, marking more complications for Tolbert's role.
Turpin also caught an 86-yard touchdown pass against Washington and showed off the speed that fans have been wanting to see all season long. Turpin showed more in fewer snaps compared to Tolbert, marking another reason why the Cowboys might let him walk in 2026 when his rookie contract expires.
Before the season, Tolbert looked to be the WR3 behind Lamb and Pickens. The signing of Pickens also indicated that the coaching staff didn't have much trust in Tolbert being the second option.
With Tolbert not being as involved much this year, the writing on the wall might've already been decided, but the Cowboys have given Tolbert lots of chances, and these last two games will indicate what the organization will do with him in 2026.