The Dallas Cowboys are staring down a salary cap crunch on their defensive line, with three key tackles – Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark – all among the team’s top six cap hits for 2026.
For a unit that’s supposed to anchor the defense, the financial load has become a central offseason talking point.
Kenny Clark, in particular, is drawing attention. Entering the final year of his current deal, Clark is set to count $21.5 million against the cap, including an $11 million mid-March roster bonus.
That figure has sparked speculation that he could be a candidate for a salary cap move or a contract restructure, as the Cowboys juggle multiple large commitments along the defensive line.
“Acquired as part of the Micah Parsons deal, Clark’s contract was a relative bargain in 2025,” ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell wrote. “The Cowboys were on the hook for only his $1.3 million base salary and another $1 million in per-game roster bonuses. Clark wasn’t single-handedly able to fix Dallas’ defense, but he also wasn’t the problem.”
In 2026, however, the landscape has shifted. Clark‘s $21.5 million cap hit ranks as the fifth-largest on the roster, following fellow defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa, whose contracts are also among the highest for the team.
Williams, acquired via trade from the Jets last year, and Odighizuwa, with $16.25 million in guaranteed salary, make the defensive tackle room both deep and expensive.
Is a trade the answer for Kenny Clark?
Barnwell floated the idea that the Cowboys could trade Clark to the Cincinnati Bengals, giving Dallas some cap relief while helping Cincinnati strengthen its defensive line.
He noted that Clark made sense for Dallas in 2025 when his cap hit was minimal, but the jump to $21.5 million changes the calculus.
The trade proposal, however, has raised eyebrows. Barnwell suggested the Cowboys would receive only a sixth-round pick in exchange for Clark and a seventh-round pick, with the understanding that Clark would then restructure his deal in Cincinnati.
Critics argue that moving a talented player for late-round picks offers minimal value for Dallas, particularly when a contract restructure could achieve cap relief while keeping a proven performer on the roster.
For the Cowboys, the decision is delicate. Restructuring Clark could free up immediate cap space, but would require careful planning to avoid ballooning future commitments.
Conversely, a trade would lower near-term costs but might leave the team short on talent in a position that remains critical to defensive success.
Fans and analysts alike are weighing the options. Clark remains a key contributor on the defensive line, and simply letting him go without significant return could be viewed as a questionable move.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys’ front office must balance the financial realities of the cap with the on-field importance of maintaining a strong defensive unit.
Keeping Clark under contract – while managing the cap impact – would allow the team to maintain its defensive core while preparing for further moves in free agency and the draft.
For now, the question remains: can Dallas navigate its defensive line payroll without sacrificing talent in the process?
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