3 Cowboys with the most to prove in final three games of the season

1. Jayron Kearse

Jayron Kearse has been one of the Cowboys' most disappointing players this season. That's a surprise because Kearse had been a steadying presence on Dallas defense over his first two seasons with the franchise. He led the team with 101 tackles in 2021 and finished third in that department last season.

On top of being a force against the run, he adopted the "tight end stopper" moniker. He's worn multiple hats for Dan Quinn, but 2023 has marked a significant step back for the veteran safety, whose 47.3 coverage grade from PFF pales in comparison to the 70.2 and 76.8 marks he earned in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

He already has more missed tackles this season (7) than he had in his previous two seasons combined (6). The same can be said for penalties, as he's been flagged eight times compared to seven combined in 2022 and '21. He allowed a 69.7% completion rate when targeted over his first two seasons. That number has jumped to 80% this year.

No matter how you slice it, Kearse has been a disappointment. If the Cowboys go 3-0 and win the division with Kearse playing well, he could earn himself another contract in free agency. As of this writing, though, the decision to let him walk (should) be an easy one.

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