Cowboys Make Contract Decision on Former First-Rounder Acquired From Bills

The Cowboys have made their choice on Kaiir Elam's fifth-year option.

The Dallas Cowboys acquired Kaiir Elam via trade with the Buffalo Bills in March of 2025. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys have decided what to do with Kaiir Elam.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the team declined the fifth-year option on the former first-round pick. Elam was acquired via trade with the Buffalo Bills this offseason after he wasn't a meaningful part of the Bills' cornerback rotation. He would have made $12.7 million in 2026 had the option been picked up.

The #Cowboys are not picking up the fifth-year option of corner Kaiir Elam, acquired in a trade with Buffalo this offseason. This was largely expected, as the option would have paid him around $12.7M for 2026.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 1, 2025

The Bills made Elam the No. 23 pick in the 2022 NFL draft after the Florida product was named second-team All-SEC in 2020. In 2024, he played in 13 games and totaled 26 tackles and two passes broken up. He has two interceptions in 29 career games and 12 starts.

In March, the Bills sent Elam and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft to the Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-rounder in 2025 and a seventh-rounder in 2026.

He is expected to battle for time at nickelback for the Cowboys.

---

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

feed