The Dallas Cowboys and offensive tackle Terence Steele have agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension, the team announced Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The deal is worth $86.8 million with $50 million guaranteed.
- Steele, 26, started 13 games for Dallas last season before suffering a torn ACL in Week 14.
- Steele signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech in 2020 and has started 40 games across his first three NFL seasons.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Why Dallas extended Steele
Steele has been in the group of top players the Cowboys have recently been trying to get signed long-term. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. He now gets a deal that pays him an average annual salary among the highest-paid right tackles in the league.
Dallas has seen Steele as its starting right tackle of the future ever since he impressively went from undrafted rookie free agent to starter in 2020. He already has 40 games started on his resume. It was important to get this deal done so that the Cowboys have a solid young nucleus on their offensive line going forward. Starting left tackle Tyron Smith and starting right guard Zack Martin are both 32. Dallas at least now knows it has its future at right and left tackle with Steele, 26, and LT Tyler Smith, 22. — Machota
What they’re saying
Steele has impressed everyone in the organization with how quickly he has recovered from last year’s season-ending knee injury. “His work ethic and just the way he goes about it, he’s always been no-nonsense,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said last week. “He’s extremely coachable. Very bright. And he’s a glue guy. Terence is a stud.”
Required reading
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