The NFL has reached the toughest part of the calendar, as all 32 teams have to cut their rosters down to 53 players by Tuesday. That means each team will have to cut roughly 40 players, with some of those decisions being more difficult than others.
The Dallas Cowboys have started the process of trimming their roster, and the first round of cuts had a really brutal blow. Among the first group of players released was veteran offensive lineman La'el Collins. Collins thrived for Dallas from 2015 to 2021, and returned to the team for a third stint this offseason. While his presence was notable in camp, the Cowboys still made the decision to move on from him.
La’el Collins is among the players being released by the Cowboys today, according to a source. Collins, who started 71 games for the Cowboys from 2015-21, joined the team in training camp and played in three preseason games. Coaches praised his work with young OL, DL.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 24, 2025
Cowboys cut veteran lineman La'el Collins
Collins, now 32 years old, is quite removed from the player he was when he started 71 of 74 games for Dallas’ dominant offensive line during the first seven years of his career. Since leaving the Cowboys in 2022, he has spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, returned to Dallas’ practice squad for a couple of weeks at the end of the 2023 season, and spent time with the Buffalo Bills.
He returned the Cowboys again in August, and his presence was felt throughout camp as he took on a clear mentor role. Collins was no longer near the top of the depth chart like he was early in his career, but he spent a ton of time with the young linemen on both sides of the ball, helping them develop their skills.
Ultimately, Dallas had no intentions to keep Collins around strictly as a mentor, prioritizing the young linemen instead. While his contributions in that capacity were appreciated, the Cowboys still had to make the tough decision to do what was best for the roster, and that was moving on from La'el Collins, who was once a franchise staple.
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