One Overlooked Departure That Will Hurt Dallas Cowboys Most In 2026

The Dallas Cowboys saw some of their in-house free agents leave for new homes this offseason, but none of those departures may be more impactful than offensive lineman Brock Hoffman's.

Hoffman was a restricted free agent going into the offseason but the Cowboys did not tender him, which allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to swoop in and sign him to a one-year contract.

Nobody is typically going to shed tears over a backup offensive lineman leaving in free agency, but Hoffman exiting to Pittsburgh shouldn't be overlooked, and for multiple reasons.

Why losing Brock Hoffman hurts the Cowboys

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Dallas Cowboys center Brock Hoffman after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. — Dallas Cowboys center Brock Hoffman. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

We saw the kind of impact Hoffman can make in 2025, when he started in seven games for the Cowboys and played a sizeable role in another.

Hoffman was first called into action in Week 2, when starting center Cooper Beebe exited the contest early due to an ankle injury that landed him on injured reserve. He started the next six games at center in place of the injured Beebe and provided a steady, reliable replacement after surrendering just one sack and 11 pressures in that span.

Once Beebe returned to the lineup, Hoffman was sent back to the bench, only to be called upon again in Week 18 when the Cowboys slid Tyler Smith over to left tackle.

Hoffman got the nod in Smith's place at left guard and was nearly flawless in pass protection, giving up just one pressure in the contest.

Dallas Cowboys center Brock Hoffman gestures at the line against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Sure, it was a meaningless Week 18 game, but Hoffman's ability to step in at guard showed the extremely valuable versatility the Cowboys are losing with his departure.

But 2025 was just a sample of how valuable Hoffman was. Over the previous two seasons, the Virginia Tech product started in nine games, including another seven in 2024. And, from 2022-24, Hoffman gave up just two sacks and 23 pressures in over 1,200 snaps played.

All of this and we haven't even mentioned Hoffman's contribution on special teams, where he has seen 329 snaps over four seasons in the NFL.

In a day and age when offensive linemen are as valuable as ever, it's crucial to have a reliable and versatile offensive lineman like Hoffman who can step in at a moment's notice. Not keeping him around could prove to be a big mistake for the Cowboys if the group up front suffers a significant injury in 2026.

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