Whatever you might think of the Dallas Cowboys defense this season — which is likely varying degrees of disgust — we can all agree that whatever version the franchise rolls out in 2026 will have a variety of different faces.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks one of those new faces could be Kansas City Chiefs linebacker and 2-time Super Bowl champion inside linebaker Leo Chenal in the next free agency cycle.
Chenal, a 2022 third round pick (No. 103 overall), is in the final season of his 4-year, $5.04 million rookie contract and the Chiefs are already paying their other 2 inside linebackers, Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton, big money. It’s far fetched to think they’ll pay a third with Chenal, who is just as deserving.
That opens the door for the Cowboys got get Chenal, who Knox has ranked as the No. 9 free agent in 2026 in his latest Top 50 rankings.
“Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal plays a specific role in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense,” Knox wrote. “He’s an early-down run defender who didn’t even reach 50 percent of the defensive snaps before this season. However, the 25-year-old has been terrific in that role and should be viewed as a very good defensive starter. Chenal appeared in all 17 games last season, finishing with 60 tackles, a sack and four tackles for loss. He’s on pace to surpass those numbers this season.”
From Big Ten Star to Super Bowl Champion
One of the things the Cowboys should consider in signing free agents next year is where they come from — getting a winner like Chenal would be great for a locker room essentially devoid of winners.
Chenal, 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, was an All-American linebacker and the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year at the University of Wisconsin in 2021 and has played in 3 Super Bowls in his first 3 seasons with the Chiefs.
The Cowboys could use a little more of that on the roster — they’re currently ranked 31st out of 32 NFL teams in total defense.
Cowboys Just Traded for Inside Linebacker
While there is no player on the defense for the Cowboys who is untouchable right now outside of newly acquired Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, it’s worth pointing out they also just traded for someone who plays Chenal’s position.
The Cowboys were the talk of the NFL in the hours leading up to the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, November 4, by making blockbuster deals for Williams and for Cincinnati Bengals inside linebacker Logan Wilson.
Both should be in the starting lineup when the Cowboys, who are in a bye in Week 10, return to action in a Week 11 Monday Night Football road game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Still, Wilson might not be the answer the Cowboys are hoping for. And he’s expensive.
The Bengals signed Wilson, 29 years old, to a 4-year, $36 million contract extension before the 2023 season. While the Cowboys are only on the hook for roughly half of the $5.918 million he’s owed this season, that number goes up to $6.55 million in 2026 and $7.21 million in the final year of his contract in 2027.
“Logan Wilson was a player the Bengals weren’t using that much and had asked to be traded,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano said on November 4. “So they get a player from the only NFL defense arguably worse than theirs.”
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