The Dallas Cowboys are preparing for their Week 1 battle against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football. But the front office continues to make a handful of long-term moves before the season kicks off. Obviously, that started with the trade of Micah Parsons, but has since extended to Daron Bland, who received a new contract in Dallas.
Bland wasn’t the only player to receive a new deal this week, as the Cowboys have agreed to a new two-year deal with fullback Hunter Luepke worth up to $7.5 million, according to several reports. That makes Luepke the third-highest paid fullback in the NFL despite playing just two seasons in the league.
The Cowboys were wise to give Hunter Luepke an extension
There are going to be plenty of football analysts who make the (tired) joke that the Cowboys traded Parsons so they would have enough cap space to sign their fullback. Just go ahead and ignore that nonsense as this was a smart deal for Dallas on several different fronts.
Luepke played over 300 snaps on offense (30%) during the 2024 season, according to Pro Football Reference, and the expectation is that number will grow in Year 3. While he isn’t the most physical blocker, it’s his versatility that makes him a worthwhile piece in the offense. Luepke was a decorated runner at North Dakota State, but his real calling card is what he can do as a receiver.
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There have been several times over the last two years when he’s impressed in the passing game, both as a receiver and a blocker. Dallas also loves that he can be used as a tight end, making him even more valuable in this offense. And with the Cowboys likely to lean more into two wide receiver sets this year, that could open up even more snaps for Luepke in the offense. It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get more traditional running back carries, especially in short yardage.
Luepke is also a core special teams player for Dallas, which is why this extension makes too much sense. He can wear a lot of different hats on game day, and his ability to block, catch, and run on offense makes him the perfect Swiss army knife.
It’s clear that the Cowboys are trying to lock up a majority of their offense this year, and the hope is that a Tyler Smith extension is next. The plan appears to be to spend money on offense to keep the unit intact, while the defense will likely see an influx of draft picks over the next two years to improve the depth.
We will see if that strategy works, but at least it’s a plan, and the Cowboys are keeping some of their more useful players on offense. Expect Luepke to have an even bigger role on the offense this season.
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