Cowboys Dakoda Shepley retired
Dallas Cowboys including defensive tackle Linval Joseph (93) and offensive tackle Dakoda Shepley (65) run on to the field before the game at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 15, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Tackle Dakoda Shepley, a veteran of 16 NFL games across four NFL seasons, announced his immediate retirement from football on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Shepley spent the 2026 season with the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts. After the Argos were eliminated from the CFL playoffs in a season-ending loss, the Windsor, Ontario native confirmed he had played his final game.
Shepley suited up for the San Francisco 49ers (2020), Seattle Seahawks (2021) and Dallas Cowboys (2022, 2024) in his NFL career.
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“This was definitely my last year,” Shepley said Sunday, via 3DownNation.com. “One thousand percent. I thought last year was, but (I wanted to) go out on my own terms rather than go out on an injury, play a solid year of football, and try to win a championship. Is what it is, and that was it for me.
“My body feels worse than its ever felt. Getting beat up week-to-week, managing injuries, shoulders, back, ankles, knees — everything hurts right now. In a month I’m sure I’ll feel fine. It’s pretty violent on the line of scrimmage.”
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The Cowboys waived Shepley in August 2025. He saw most of his NFL action on special teams. With the Argonauts, he played in 17 games this season, including the playoffs. He recorded four tackles and even caught a pass for three yards.
Shepley was selected by Saskatchewan in the first round (fifth overall) out of the University of British Columbia in the 2018 CFL Draft. He played 18 games for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2019 before making the leap to the NFL.
“I have a newborn at home, an eight-month-old, and my wife back in Dallas,” he said. “Priorities have shifted, and I feel like I can’t give the attention that football needs that I’ve committed to all these years.”