Not every team is in a position to compete for the Super Bowl, although that is the goal for all 32 each year. As it stands, the Dallas Cowboys are not anticipated to be among them. That's also because some burning questions remain.
There is still time until the front office finalizes the 53-man roster, but even then, how the Cowboys fare during the season is dependent on how problems on their roster are dealt with. If Dallas is to compete with the best, especially considering two powerhouses in their division, they must find some answers.
3 burning questions Cowboys must answer before the regular season
1. Who is the answer at slot CB?
The once stabilizing Jourdan Lewis departed for Jacksonville, leaving a void in the slot on defense. An injury bug striking the Cowboys' defensive backs before the season starts limits early solutions.
With the opener played against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, it's a test that could ultimately be the difference between making the playoffs or not.
An early guess to fill in was 2023 All-Pro DaRon Bland. Uncertainties surrounding the health of another former All-Pro, Trevon Diggs, and 2025 third-rounder Shavon Revel extinguished those plans. The importance of locking down the outside is too crucial to have unproven talent on both halves of the field.
Entering his fifth season with the team, Israel Mukuamu might be the leading candidate to take the spot, at least for Week 1. His pick against the Los Angeles Rams in the first preseason game was a reward for all the work he's put in over the years.
Brian Schottenheimer watched Mukuamu work to earn a larger role over the past two seasons, and now may be the opportunity he has been waiting for. Matt Eberflus had high praise for the defensive back, referring to him as a "Swiss Army Knife" due to his positional versatility.
The South Carolina product is already a staple on special teams, has earned his stripes over the years, and recently signed a new contract to remain in Dallas. Nothing is set in stone, but things are trending his way early.
Another standout in the first preseason game is making it a competition. Undrafted corner out of Kentucky, Zion Childress, was all over the field against the Rams. He racked up six tackles, with one for a loss, and could be a better option against smaller and quicker slot wideouts.
The Athletic's Jon Machota is a believer that Childress could earn a role early if he continues to show he is capable of handling NFL wideouts. He has already taken first-team snaps in practice and has confidence that he will make the most of any opportunity.
The two can split opportunities based on matchup, with Mukuamu likely getting the upper hand as the veteran and familiarity with the team. The hot hand will likely get the snaps, with the chance to hold the spot even after the return of injured corners.
2. Will Micah Parsons be playing on a new contract?
Heading into the season without the best player on your team is less than ideal. While that's not expected to happen, the contract dispute between the Cowboys and Micah Parsons has stretched on long enough to raise serious questions.
Owner Jerry Jones has had similar disputes with other stars on the team, such as quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb, but eventually signed them to deals. The longer the stalemate lasts, the more concerning the situation is.
After a reported "handshake deal" was done, pushback from the Parsons camp was followed by a trade request. Coming up on a month later, there doesn't seem to be any movement. Deadlines do make deals happen; however, it's worth wondering how this impacts Parsons and how he feels about the organization.
The willingness of Parsons to perform well could be clouded by how the contract is being handled. Frustrations are sure to grow, especially if he's being told he is not worth what is being asked.
Whatever the split between the two sides is, Micah could be contractually tied to Dallas until 2027 with the use of franchise tags. With the leverage in the Cowboys' hands, they should "win" the negotiation, but must tread carefully not to make their star disgruntled.
Will the superstar play out the 2025 season happy on a new contract? Would he sit out regular-season games if he doesn't get a new deal? The first route is more likely, but only time will tell.
3. Is the regular season QB2 on the roster?
After spending seven of the last eight years in Dallas, Cooper Rush took his talent to the Baltimore Ravens as their backup quarterback. That left a void on the Cowboys' depth chart. To address it, the team brought back Will Grier and traded for Joe Milton.
The two have a combined three games of NFL regular-season experience, which is not encouraging. Milton was a sixth-round pick from the New England Patriots in 2024; meanwhile, Grier bounced around the NFL after being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
The trial-and-error phase of Milton through the first two preseason games with Dallas has not been encouraging, with many of the concerns regarding the quarterback shining while playing against second and third-team defenses.
Grier has played only a couple of snaps in the first game and three drives in the second. All that was proven was that Cowboys fans will not want to watch games with either Grier or Milton starting in 2025.
The only other option is to look elsewhere for another option. The free agent quarterbacks are thin, with 32-year-old Carson Wentz being the best player available. Trading for a backup when needed will be far too costly, and throw in a quarterback that needs to learn everything about the team and start immediately.
Thursday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles is sooner than it seems. If the Dallas Cowboys want to be a competitive team in 2025, they need these answers ASAP. If not, maybe it's time to start building up for 2026.
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