By re-signing Javonte Williams and franchise-tagging George Pickens, the Dallas Cowboys ensured that their entire starting offense would return in 2026.
That statement may hinge on whether you consider Jalen Tolbert a starter. He opened the year as the WR3 behind CeeDee Lamb and Pickens, but was eventually leapfrogged by second-year wideout Ryan Flournoy, who emerged as a security blanket for Dak Prescott as defenses keyed on Lamb and Pickens.
Flournoy's emergence paved the way for Tolbert to seek a fresh start as an unrestricted free agent. Sure enough, he inked a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, who may have the thinnest WR room in football after they traded former No. 6 overall pick Jaylen Waddle.
According to Spotrac, Tolbert signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal, including a $187,500 signing bonus and $1.62 million guaranteed. That's it.
The Dallas Cowboys clearly didn't want wide receiver Jalen Tolbert back
Even with how much the Cowboys have invested in their defense, if they wanted him back, matching those terms wouldn't have been an obstacle.
Unfortunately, it's no surprise that Tolbert walked for just $1.4 million. Here's where he ranked among wide receivers who drew at least 30 targets last season, via Pro Football Focus.
Category | Statistic | Rank |
|---|---|---|
PFF receiving grade | 61.2 | 89th |
Yards per catch | 11.3 | 78th |
YAC per reception | 2.3 | 89th |
Yards per route run | 0.77 | 107th |
Average depth of target | 12.4 | 48th |
Passer rating when targeted | 70.6 | 97th |
"But Tolbert was only targeted 33 times." Isn't that his fault?
While more opportunities naturally allow for improvement, the 27-year-old was given every chance to prove himself after Dallas selected him in the third round in 2021. He opened last season as WR3, and failed to take advantage while CeeDee Lamb was shelved with a high-ankle sprain.
Again, Flournoy, a 2024 sixth-round pick, left Tolbert in the dust, catching 40 of 56 targets for 475 yards and four touchdowns. He finished the year with a 78.8 receiving grade, 5.0 yards after the catch per reception, 1.74 yards per route run, and a 111.8 passer rating when targeted.
Flournoy is only under contract for one more year, but he'll be a restricted free agent next offseason, which gives the Cowboys an easy path to keep him.
Beyond Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin is under team control for two more years, and Jonathan Mingo's rookie deal runs through 2026. And the team is seemingly bullish on Traeshon Holden, who impressed in training camp last summer as an undrafted free agent.
The odds weren't stacked against Tolbert heading into 2025. He just didn't make the most of his opportunities in a contract year, leaving Dallas with an easy decision.
Hopefully, he gets back on track in South Florida.