Cowboys Country

Cowboys’ center talked so much trash he left his voice in Carolina

Brock Hoffman has been exactly what the Dallas Cowboys offensive line needed to turn the corner.
Dallas Cowboys center Brock Hoffman
Dallas Cowboys center Brock Hoffman | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

When the Dallas Cowboys lost Zack Martin for the season, it felt as though their offensive line would fall apart. They were already struggling with pass protection and run blocking with the future Hall of Famer and had to turn to Brock Hoffman to replace him.

The good news was that Dallas trusted Hoffman, who was nearly the starting center, to hold his own. What they didn’t expect was for him to become a tone-setter on the line.

That’s exactly what’s happened as Hoffman’s mean streak has helped the Cowboys become a force on the ground.

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This past Sunday, they put up 211 yards on the ground with Rico Dowdle going for a career high 149 yards.

Dallas cowboys
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) celebrates with Dallas Cowboys center Brock Hoffman (67) after scoring a touchdown | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Hoffman, who moved to center with Cooper Beebe dealing with a concussion, thoroughly enjoyed that success and wasn’t shy about pouring salt in the opposing team’s wound.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schotenheimer said on Tuesday that Hoffman lost his voice against the Carolina Panthers. While he said he was making calls at the line, it was his trash talk that did the damage.

An undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech, Hoffman originally signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2022. He was on their practice squad until November when he was released. Shortly after that, the Cowboys brought him to Dallas where he’s been ever since.

With Martin potentially leaving in 2025, Hoffman could be in line for a full-time role next season. He’s proven he’s up to the task, which will be a huge help for a team that will need to fill plenty of holes once again.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.