One of the most important players on the Dallas Cowboys' roster heading into the 2026 season is DeMarvion Overshown.
Entering Year 4, Overshown is completely healthy and is set to play on the final year of his rookie deal. He returned to the field in 2025 despite suffering a devastating knee injury late in the 2024 season that was expected to keep him out for the entire year.
Overshown was able to play six games during the 2025 season, shaking off some of the rust after being out for so long. While he wasn’t quite able to return to his 2024 form, the expectation is that he will be a much better player in 2026, especially with Christian Parker calling the defense.
If that’s the case, would the Cowboys be wise to give Overshown a new deal now rather than after a potential breakout season? Or are the injury concerns too great to even consider that an option?
The case for the Dallas Cowboys to pay DeMarvion Overshown right now
It wasn’t that long ago when Overshown was considered one of the best linebackers in the NFL. In an article written by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he polled several NFL coaches, scouts, and decision makers and asked them to rank the top-10 linebackers in the league going into the 2025 season.
Overshown made the list at No. 8 and was even ranked as the No. 4 off-ball linebacker in the league by one executive. Here is a snippet of what one NFL defensive coach had to say about Overshown from the Fowler piece:
“One of the most athletic linebackers I've ever seen. He's the fastest guy out there. Can completely take over a game and was really starting to get it."
The concern with Overshown has always been injuries. He suffered a torn ACL during the 2023 preseason and missed his entire rookie season. The second knee injury in 2024 was even more devastating, and it’s fair to wonder how much that has impacted his athleticism moving forward.
It’s really hard to tell based on the 2025 tape because when we saw Overshown on the field, he was less than 12 months removed from an ACL, MCL, and PCL tear in his knee. The 2026 season should give us a better idea of where he is at physically after the two major injuries.
But the question is, should the Cowboys consider giving Overshown a deal now and what would that even look like at this point? Overshown has played just 19 games in the NFL to date and has played a grand total of 927 snaps, according to Pro Football Reference.
Overshown’s 2024 tape was worthy of a big-time contract, whereas the 2025 tape was only average. But would Overshown be willing to sign a deal now, considering his injury history? Would he want some financial security, given what’s happened to him already in the NFL?
Or could we see a scenario where Overshown bets on himself and parlays a big 2026 season into a massive payday in 2027? You can make strong arguments either way, but given how the Cowboys generally handle contracts, you can bet that they will want to see more of Overshown before giving him a bunch of guaranteed money.
The Cowboys would be wise to consider discussing a contract with Overshown over the summer. The framework of a deal could look like what the Falcons gave to Divine Deablo last offseason, which was a two-year deal worth $14 million with $8 million guaranteed. Overshown is far more talented than Deablo, but the injury history will certainly impact his value.
If Overshown is willing to take a deal like that to ensure that he gets some sort of guaranteed money in 2027 and beyond, the Cowboys should certainly consider that.
There is a chance that with a strong 2026 campaign, Overshown could double that amount of money yearly on the open market. But another injury-riddled season or even one with just average play could cause other teams to be “out” on him in free agency.
Overshown is an incredibly talented player and the type of leader you want in your locker room. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to consider giving him some financial security before going into a make-or-break season for the former Texas star.
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