​While the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive struggles throughout 2025 dominated the headlines, there is a quieter, more insidious problem brewing within the organization that could prove just as fatal to their 2026 aspirations: a broken special teams unit. As the franchise officially moves on from long-time veteran and special teams captain C.J. Goodwin, the team is forced to confront a reality that many fans have been trying to ignore—the third phase of the game in Dallas has become a liability.

​The End of the Goodwin Era

​The official retirement of C.J. Goodwin, a 12-year NFL veteran and the unquestioned heartbeat of the Cowboys’ coverage units since 2019, marks the end of an era. For years, Goodwin was the rare specialist who could make an entire roster spot worth keeping solely based on his elite situational play. However, at 36 years old, his impact waned significantly last season, with missed tackles and declining speed signaling that it was finally time for a changing of the guard.

​Yet, his departure isn’t just about losing a leader; it is a stark reminder of the void left behind. With Dallas opting not to re-sign him—and even handing his iconic No. 29 jersey to rookie Devin Moore—the team is signaling a hard reset. But replacing an “ace” is only the tip of the iceberg. The deeper, more systemic issue is that the unit Goodwin left behind was statistically one of the worst in the entire league.

​A Unit in Urgent Need of Repair

​The numbers from the 2025 campaign are nothing short of alarming. According to Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys finished as the 24th-ranked special teams unit in the NFL, a ranking that reflects a lack of discipline and a lack of depth. They were the second-most penalized special teams unit in the league, often committing the kind of pre-snap errors that scream “lack of preparation.”

​It isn’t just about the flags, though. When you look at the personnel, the lack of quality depth is glaring. Outside of elite contributors like kicker Brandon Aubrey and return sensation KaVontae Turpin, the rest of the unit failed to grade within the top 100 players in the league. Young players expected to step up, such as Brevyn Spann-Ford, struggled with fundamental issues, recording one of the highest missed-tackle counts in the NFL. Similarly, Markquese Bell’s disciplinary issues resulted in the second-most penalties by any non-kicker on special teams.

​When your primary contributors are the ones causing the most damage, you don’t have a personnel problem—you have a culture problem.

​The “Clean Slate” Strategy for 2026

​Acknowledging the problem is the first step, and the Cowboys seem to have done that by retaining coordinator Nick Sorensen. However, the mandate for the upcoming season is clear: the slate must be wiped clean. The “old guard” of snap-count leaders has proven unreliable, and the coaching staff is signaling that every single roster spot on the special teams unit is currently up for grabs.

​This creates a massive opportunity for the younger players at training camp. The competition to fill the “Goodwin role”—the dedicated punt and kickoff coverage specialist—will be the most significant position battle of the summer. Dallas needs players who value the gritty, high-intensity work of the third phase, not just guys looking for defensive snaps.

​If the Cowboys are to return to the playoffs and make a deep run in 2026, they cannot afford to surrender field position, commit drive-extending penalties, or suffer massive coverage breakdowns. They have the offensive star power with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and they have the defensive foundation to compete, but none of that matters if the special teams continue to play like a basement-dwelling unit. The road to the Super Bowl is paved with discipline—and for Dallas, that journey starts by finally fixing the mess in the third phase.

​Do you think the Cowboys have enough depth to fix their special teams, or is this unit destined to struggle again in 2026? Can a “clean slate” approach really change the culture of a group that struggled so much last year? Let us know your thoughts below!