Dallas Cowboys on Track to Bounce Back in 2026 After Disappointing 2025 Season

One ingredient to the Dallas Cowboys' recipe for getting back to the playoffs is the slew of new players on defense panning out.

Another important ingredient in the recipe is the Cowboys getting bounce-back performances from players who did not live up to expectations in 2025.

With training camp rapidly approaching later this month, here's a look at four players in particularly we expect to be much better in 2026 than they were in 2025.

Shavon Revel

After finally recovering from his torn ACL suffered during his final year in college, Revel's performance left a lot to be desired after surrendering a completion rate of 73.7% and a passer rating of 126.1 when targeted.

While that showing doesn't inspire much confidence for Year 2, Revel should get the benefit of the doubt that he can be better.

He didn't have a normal offseason as he recovered from his injury, which only makes a rookie's transition to the NFL more difficult, and Revel may not have been himself, as is often the case with players in the first year back from a torn ACL.

"I did not feel like myself," Revel said. "I just had that heart and grit to go out there. If I can still run, I'm going to go play. It's all about what you can put in for the team."

Now that he's another year removed from his injury and will have a full offseason, we expect much better out of the 2025 third-round pick.

Kenny Clark

We don't want to say Clark was bad last season, but he also hasn't been the Pro Bowl-caliber player he was in Green Bay, and that has been the case since 2024.

Clark notched 7.5 sacks and 61 pressures in 2023, his last Pro Bowl campaign, but the last two years he has just 77 pressures and four sacks.

We're optimistic about Clark's chances of returning to that 2023 form because of a position change. Clark is proven to be better when he regularly lines up at nose tackle, something he hasn't done in multiple years. But in 2026, Clark will be back there in Christian Parker's defense.

"I pride myself on being an all-around defensive tackle, but I'm primarily a nose tackle. That's my bread and butter," he said in 2025.

We will find out soon enough if playing more nose tackle is what will unlock the old Clark, but there's enough evidence to suggest that is a real possibility.

Sam Williams

Williams was one of many disappointments on Dallas' defense in 2025, as he posted just one sack during a season in which the Cowboys desperately needed edge rushers to step up.

Williams has never been an elite pass-rusher, but he has posted as many as 4.5 sacks in a season, so one sack was a down showing. That said, there's a possible explanation and it has to do with Williams possibly not being himself in Year 1 after a torn ACL.

Along with being further removed from the injury, Williams is also going back to being a 3-4 outside linebacker, a spot he thrived at during his days in college.

“This is what I did at Ole Miss, so I’m happy," Williams said of reverting back to an outside linebacker.

Williams posted a 10.5-sack season in his final year at Ole Miss. If he can finish with even half that amount in 2026, he'll qualify as a bounce-back player, which would be huge for his 2027 free agency bid.

Jaydon Blue

While it's hard to expect a lot out of a fifth-round rookie, it's safe to say the Cowboys at least expected a bit more than 38 carries and 129 yards in five games from Blue in 2025.

Blue was inactive for much of the season after he failed to gain the trust of the coaching staff, with maturity issues being a major problem for the Texas product.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer sees a "night and day" difference from Blue this offseason, though, and the running back admitted he has changed a lot, also.

“The game has slowed down completely for me. I just think I’m a completely different person than what I was at this time last year. I think it was just me looking myself in the mirror and (figuring out) why I wasn’t on the field like I should have been last year."

“I think I made a 180 from where I was last year. I think I’ve gotten a lot better, whether that’s the football part, the physical part, my body, I feel really good. I’m just ready to go," Blue added.

Schottenheimer has said he believes Blue can be a big part of the offense in 2026 if he can keep moving in the right direction. If that turns out to be the case, we'll be hearing a lot more from Blue during his second season in the NFL.

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