Dallas, TX- After a .500 2026 season came to a close, the Cowboys knew there would be some important retirements to discuss at the end of the season, and how to find the retiree's replacement. Two men ended their career's a Dallas Cowboy after an up and down season which resulted in a second consecutive 8-8 record.
One of them played most of his time in New Jersey, becoming a very consistent and durable player and ended his last season with Dallas. WR George Pyburn puts his name into the retirement list after 13 successful seasons, all of which he had memorable moments in. Although Pyburn never showcased the speed necessary to be an elite receiver, he had glue-like hands and always knew how to come down with the ball in man on man situations. Pyburn ended his 13th year in Dallas after he was picked up in free agency, where he received 44 ***** for 559 yards and 6 touchdowns. He brought the intensity a veteran is expected to have and influenced other young receivers to play with that veteran mentality. He contributed well to Dallas in the receiving game in 2026, being the number 2 receiver in yards and tied for most Touchdowns in 2026.
The UCLA Product ended his career with 12 years in New Jersey receiving 792 ***** for 11,753 yards and 71 touchdowns, ending with an average 15 yards per reception. Pyburn's career will go noted by many in New Jersey as well as in Dallas as a satisfying display of determination and passion.
Also retiring is Cowboys legend Michael Adams, who played defensive end for 13 years, 12 of them in Dallas after being released by Baltimore after the 2014 season came to a close. Adams made his presence felt in Dallas, leading the way defensively in sacks as he always found unique ways to get to the quarterback. Adams ended his last season on top of the Dallas leader board in sacks as well as many other seasons where he was #1 in sacks for the team. His motor ran constantly every game and whenever he was healthy, he wrecked havoc on opposing offensive linemen. He ended his 12 years with Dallas gathering 317 tackles, 94 sacks, 15 passes knocked down, 12 forced fumbles, and one unbelievable interception that came in his last season. He was the last original Cowboy to hang up his jersey and he wont be forgotten as GM Michael Kenseth announced at the beginning of the season that the #75 will be retired in honor of Adams.
With two important retirements in the off season, the Dallas Cowboys look forward to whats ahead in the near future regarding young new faces that could replace the retired veterans who made an impact. "Young talent is crucial in this league as you can just pick up a day 1 starter at the beginning of free agency very often" Said Kenseth, who is determined to approach the next off season with a slightly different strategy. "These two guys made an impact on the whole community of Dallas, contributing on and off the field in well respective manners."
Dallas picked up some possible replacements in the draft, such as drafting WR's Christopher Santiago in the 6th and Royce Monroe in the 2nd, both of whom have a tremendous upside. Defensively, Dallas selected RDE Wayne Baker, who is projected as the perfect candidate to replace a monster defensive end who contributed so much on and off the field. "He has that play first, talk later mentality with him and his character reminds me a lot like Adams. He's gonna be a very exciting player to watch develop."
