All of the attention is on the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff lives which will continue to be at stake in the foreseeable future, but as the season wears on, there are some noticeable trends worth paying attention to.
One of those trends is within the Cowboys’ wide receiver room, which got its chance to show some depth earlier in the year when CeeDee Lamb was out with an injury. And, by now, it is pretty clear which players stepped up and which ones are being phased out.
Currently in the last year of his rookie deal, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert is very likely on his way out of Dallas. The 2022 third-round pick out of South Alabama was a healthy scratch in Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles, and, as 2024 sixth-round pick Ryan Flournoy continues to develop, it seems more and more likely that Tolbert has been firmly supplanted.
Jalen Tolbert’s days with the Cowboys appear numbered
Not too long ago, Tolbert was forced into action thanks to the Lamb injury. But, Brian Schottenheimer quickly reverted him back to the inactive list in favor of Flournoy stepping into a larger role.
What’s been especially interesting over the last few games is Flournoy’s usage inside the red zone. In two of his last three games, he has caught a red zone touchdown. Furthermore, Flournoy has been the type of guy who makes a play and many times, viewers at home will stop and ask something like, “Woah, wait, who was that?”
Flournoy’s ascension has seemingly come at the expense of Tolbert being phased out, and at this rate, it would be shocking if Dallas brought back the latter next offseason.
Obviously, the Tolbert decision is the least of Dallas’ worries at the position this coming spring. All eyes will be on George Pickens and what Jerry Jones decides to do with the impending free agent who has set the NFL world ablaze this year. As for Tolbert, though, his fate looks as though it’s sealed.
After starting slow and catching just two passes in eight appearances as a rookie, Tolbert steadily climbed and ended up with a career season in 2024, totaling 49 receptions for 610 yards and an impressive seven touchdowns.
But, as soon as Schottenheimer took over as head coach and Pickens arrived, it was a downward trend for Tolbert. He’s only seen three games, this season, with more than two targets — and they all came within the first four weeks.
Right now, it’s not hard to see that he’ll be in a different uniform next season.
