Dallas is bringing back a familiar face to bolster its defensive front. Defensive end Tyrus Wheat agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, coinciding with the official start of the NFL league year. The move returns the 26-year-old edge rusher to the franchise where he began his professional sports career.
Wheat spent the 2025 season with the Detroit Lions. He appeared in 15 games for Detroit, recording 15 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. He primarily contributed on special teams, playing 52 percent of the Lions’ special teams snaps while operating as a rotational player along the defensive line.
The Lions opted not to extend a restricted free agent tender to Wheat on March 2, 2026, according to ESPN. That personnel decision allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent when the market opened Wednesday.
Wheat originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Dallas in May 2023 following a collegiate career at Mississippi State. During the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, he split time between the Cowboys’ practice squad and active roster. He appeared in 20 total games for Dallas, registering 17 tackles and 0.5 sacks before the team waived him during final roster cuts in August 2025. Detroit claimed him off waivers immediately following his release.
Tyrus Wheat signing with Dallas Cowboys in free agency, per @JoeJHoyt https://t.co/g7dqG0vbaX
— SportsDay Cowboys (@dmn_cowboys) March 11, 2026