Dallas Cowboys May Already Be Regretting This Free Agency Signing

The Dallas Cowboys have had a busy offseason that's featured major coaching staff changes, notable trades and some key free agency signings.

Most of the attention was on the Dallas defense, which needed sweeping personnel changes ahead of the first season under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. After a historically poor season on that side of the ball in 2025, the expectation was that the Cowboys would heavily address the defense following another year of missing the playoffs.

But the Dallas offense also had a few interesting additions, mostly addressing the team's depth. The Cowboys added a new quarterback in Sam Howell along with adding two veteran wide receivers in Tyler Johnson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling among multiple other moves.

However, one of the signings on offense already looks like it may have been for nothing.

Cowboys Set to Lose Former 49ers OL Matt Hennessy for Season

San Francisco 49ers center Matt Hennessy after the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN's Todd Archer reported last month that Cowboys offensive lineman Matt Hennessy will miss the entire 2026 season with a neck injury and has been placed on season-ending IR.

Hennessy signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal with the Cowboys in March after spending last season with the San Francisco 49ers. He played in all 17 games during the 2025 regular season with two starts and was expected to bring some solid veteran depth to the Dallas offensive line.

He was expected to bring some solid veteran depth to the Dallas offensive line, but the neck injury is clearly too serious for him to take the field anytime soon.

It's certainly important that Hennessy prioritizes his health given how dangerous neck injuries can be, but it's a likely bet that the Cowboys would have passed up on him in free agency had they know he wouldn't play at all in 2026.

It's unfortunate that Hennessy won't be able to play next season as key depth piece on the Dallas offensive line. He has 64 appearances and 24 career starts across time with the Niners and Atlanta Falcons, experience that is hard to scoff at for a backup offensive lineman.

The Cowboys never got a chance to find out what they didn't have in Hennessy, so things will move forward as planned for the Dallas offense.

Still, it's worth wondering who else the team could have signed had they known that the veteran would be missing all of 2026.

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