The Dallas Cowboys have had quite an eventful day. After an offseason full of contract drama, the Cowboys finally made a decision on superstar linebacker Micah Parsons’ future with the team. Rather than hand him the sort of long-term deal he is clearly worth, Dallas decided to trade him to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round picks and veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Losing Parsons, especially in this manner, is an absolute gut punch for the Cowboys, but he’s not the only player the team has lost recently. After making their roster cuts on Tuesday, Dallas watched one of its top practice squad candidates, defensive end Tyrus Wheat, get claimed by another team off waivers.
Lions Claim Tyrus Wheat After Cowboys’ Release
Wheat did not hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he still ended up latching on with the Cowboys. Initially a practice squad player, Wheat ended up getting promoted to the active roster in October. In 12 games, Wheat racked up only three tackles, but he managed to carve out a role for himself on special teams.
In 2024, Wheat played in only eight games, but he got a bit more run on defense, racking up 14 tackles and 0.5 sacks. However, he didn’t make the team’s initial 53-man roster, leading to Dallas releasing him, although it’s worth noting that this was likely done with the intention of bringing him back on the practice squad if he cleared waivers.
That did not end up happening, though, as the Detroit Lions decided to place a waiver claim on Wheat. With no other team ahead of them in the waiver order placing a claim, the Lions managed to shore up their defensive line depth and special teams units, while the Cowboys took another hit in what has been a string of brutal blows.
“As a related aside, Tyrus Wheat was the only player waived by the Cowboys who was claimed by another team, heading to the Detroit Lions for head coach Dan Campbell,” Patrik Walker wrote on the Cowboys’ official website. “Wheat climbed his way up from being an undrafted free agent signing of Dallas’ in 2023 to a key special teamer depth piece at defensive end, but the bottleneck of talent at the edge forced the team into a difficult decision on Wheat.”
Cowboys Suddenly Have Major Holes Along Their Defensive Line
GettyCowboys All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons.
There’s no doubt that losing Wheat hurts, as he was a rotational piece on the d-line who also chipped in on special teams. When you add in the team’s decision to trade Parsons, though, it makes this loss hurt just a little bit more. Dallas is going to need everyone to chip in now that Parsons is gone, but they don’t have Wheat to fall back on as a depth option anymore.
The Cowboys have other players in their defensive front seven who can step up, but no one is going to be able to individually replace what Parsons did for the team’s defense. This is a brutal blow for Dallas, and with Week 1 just seven days away now, they will have to drastically alter their defensive game plan now that their best player is no longer in town.
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