The Dallas Cowboys have already gotten a massive return on wide receiver/return specialist Kavontae Turpin — the smallest player in the NFL at 5-foot-9 and 153 pounds.
Turpin, who is in his fourth season, is already a 2-time Pro Bowler and earned NFL All-Pro honors in 2024. He also may have saved the Cowboys’ season in Week 13 with a fumble recovery in a Thanksgiving Day win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
That moment came late in the fourth quarter and with the Cowboys deep in Chiefs territory on a fumble by wide receiver George Pickens. As the ball bounced on the turf in front of a trio of Chiefs, Turpin came out of nowhere to recover the ball.
Turpin’s heroics set up a field goal by Brandon Aubrey in a game the Cowboys won, would you believe it, by 3 points — 31-28 — for their third consecutive victory.
The fumble recovery and Turpin coming out of nowhere reminded many of the video game character Sonic the Hedgehog.
“KaVontae Turpin probably saved the season here, btw,” Cowboys.com’s Patrick Walker wrote on his official X account.
Turpin, as has happened the last few years, is feeling the love in one really particular way. He leads the NFL in Pro Bowl voting at return specialist and seems on track to make the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season.
Turpin Overcame Offseason Legal Issues
It wasn’t a pleasant offseason for Turpin, who found his name in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in July, when he was arrested on drugs and weapons charges in Texas.
Turpin signed a 3-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Cowboys in March after he led the NFL in kickoff return yards in 2024.
From the The Dallas Morning News: “Turpin, 28, was booked and charged initially with two misdemeanors: possession of marijuana (less than two ounces) and unlawful carrying of a weapon,” The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt wrote on July 6. ” … Turpin has had off-the-field issues before. He starred at TCU, but was kicked off the team after he was arrested on assault charges. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and ordered to attend an abuse intervention program.”
Turpin was one of the best special teams players in the country over his final 2 seasons at TCU and had 6 career special teams touchdowns when he was dismissed from the team over 2 domestic violence charges.
Turpin has yet to receive any NFL punishment for his arrest — something that could likely happen in 2026. The NFL typically waits until cases are adjudicated to hand out their final punishments.
In this case, that could likely mean a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Turpin’s Unlikely Path to NFL Stardom
Afte Turpin went undrafted in 2019, he spent 3 seasons in the Pro Football Wastelands keeping his NFL dream alive by bouncing around the nether regions of professional football. That included one season with the Frisco Fighters in the Indoor Football League in 2020, one season with the Wroclaw Panthers in the European League of Football, one season with the Glacier Boyz in the Fan Controlled Football League and one season with the Sea Lions of the The Spring League.
Finally, in 2022, Turpin caught a break with the New Jersey Generals in the USFL in 2022. With the Generals, Turpin was named USFL Most Valuable Player with 921 all-purpose yards and 5 touchdowns in just 10 games.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post $13 Million Cowboys Star Leads NFL in Pro Bowl Voting appeared first on Heavy Sports.