Dallas Cowboys Reveal Preseason Plan For Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence

The Dallas Cowboys will not play a majority of their starters during the NFL preseason, but what does that mean for the team's 2026 first-round picks?

Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The new-look Dallas Cowboys are days away from kicking off their three-game slate in the 2026 NFL preseason, with the opener set for Saturday, August 15, against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

Dallas enters the 2026 campaign with several new faces on the defensive side of the ball, including first-round picks Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence.

While the Cowboys made some important moves throughout the offseason, fans will have to wait until the regular season to see them in live game action. That's because head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed that a majority of the team's starters will not suit up in the preseason.

“We’re not going to play a lot of our starters during the preseason,” Schottenheimer said earlier this month. “There’s something to the young guys playing a little bit, and we do it in the first two games. I think that’s part of it. Usually, you don’t play many of those guys in the third preseason game, but it’s something that we’re very serious about.”

That means fans may have to wait to get a full look at Downs patrolling the secondary, but there still may be a slight sneak peek during the team's first two preseason games. Schottenheimer revealed those plans when speaking to the media ahead of the team's return to practice in Oxnard on Thursday afternoon.

Will Caleb Downs & Malachi Lawrence Suit Up During Preseason?

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Malachi Lawrence (57) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Both Downs and Lawrence have been impressive during the first few weeks of training camp, so it would be nice to see how the rookies perform in their first taste of NFL action. But because the players are expected to be contributors this season, we may only get a glimpse.

According to Cowboys insider Tommy Yarrish, Schottenheimer expects the first-round picks to “play a little bit.” As for who else will get a look during the preseason as the team works its way down to a 53-man roster, that plan is still being developed.

After opening the preseason on Saturday, August 15, the Cowboys will travel to Phoenix for a showdown with the Arizona Cardinals the following week. Then, after a return to Texas, Dallas will cap off the preseason by hosting the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium.

Whatever plan the team puts into place turns out to be, let's just hope the Cowboys can enter the 2026 season with a healthy roster.

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