Cowboys pass the Eagles for the NFL team with the most $20 million players

The Dallas Cowboys are making it clear that they are not just here to play. They are here to pay. With the recent trade for edge rusher Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers, Jerry Jones has once again proven that his checkbook is always open if the right player becomes available. Gary isn’t the big-name pass rusher Cowboys fans were hoping for, but he only comes at the low price of a 2027 fourth-round draft pick, with the bigger burden coming in the form of his salary, which will cost the Cowboys a smidge over $40 million over the next two seasons.

This latest acquisition brings the Cowboys’ grand total to nine players with an annual average salary of at least $20 million, officially nudging them past the Philadelphia Eagles, who currently sit at eight. That’s right, Jerry has jumped Howie Roseman in the number of high-priced players he has on this roster.

The crazy thing about this is that you only have to go back one year, when the Cowboys only had two high-priced players on the roster, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Just a couple of offseasons ago, these two went through drawn-out contract negotiations to get their bag, but ever since, the Cowboys have been on a relentless sprending free to bolster their roster.

Last year, they secured their own rising stars by handing out major extensions to defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, offensive lineman Tyler Smith, and cornerback DaRon Bland. Not content with just their homegrown guys, they are also throwing money to retain players they’ve received via trade, first with Kenny Clark, then Quinnen Williams, and now adding Gary to the mix. To cap it all off, they applied the franchise tag to standout wide receiver George Pickens, who they also acquired from a trade.

Below are the nine Cowboys players currently averaging at least $20 million per year, listed in descending order of their financial impact:

Dak Prescott (QB): $60,000,000 – Signed through 2028

CeeDee Lamb (WR): $34,000,000 – Signed through 2029

George Pickens (WR): $27,298,000 – Franchise Tag for 2026

Rashan Gary (ED): $24,000,000 – Signed through 2027

Tyler Smith (G): $24,000,000 – Signed through 2030

Quinnen Williams (DL): $24,000,000 – Signed through 2027

DaRon Bland (CB): $22,500,000 – Signed through 2029

Kenny Clark (DL): $21,333,333 – Signed through 2027

Osa Odighizuwa (DL): $20,000,000 – Signed through 2028

Not only do the Cowboys have several players making a good chunk of change, but many of them are signed for multiple years. Only Pickens has a year left, and that will change when he gets a new deal.

It’s also worth noting that while Gary’s average annual salary is at $24 million, the Cowboys are only on the hook for the $19.5 million this year and $20.5 million next year. The Packers will now have eaten a total of $52 million in dead money between Gary ($17 M) and Clark ($35 M).

With Gary added to the fun, the Cowboys now have more $20 million defensive players than they do offensive players. Money doesn’t equal talent, and the team still has a lot of work to do on defense, but the Cowboys are definitely giving it a good effort. They also just signed safety Jalen Thompson, who is the team’s most expensive outside free agent purchase since the Brandon Carr signing (counting for inflation), and that was 14 years ago. The team will definitely have some financial hoops to jump through as time goes on, but for now, the front office is throwing caution to the wind.

The Cowboys are shelling out unprecedented amounts of cash to ensure their roster has a fighting chance. From massive extensions for homegrown talent to blockbuster trades for established veterans, the talent is growing, and so is their payroll. If the team wants to make a serious push for Super Bowl contention, then they must be willing to make some pricy expenditures. Jerry likes to run his mouth and make all these promises to fans, but he appears to finally be putting his money where his mouth is.