When the Dallas Cowboys inked veteran pass-rusher Von Miller to a one-year, $5.5 million deal during training camp, the move was heralded as a high-upside gamble. Bringing the NFL’s active career sacks leader back to his home state seemed like a shrewd way to inject proven pedigree into a pass rush that had struggled to find consistency.
However, through the first four games of the 2026 NFL season, the marquee addition has largely flown under the radar, leaving analysts and fans wondering when—or if—the investment will finally pay off.
Sidelined and Searching for Snaps
While offseason acquisitions like Caleb Downs and Joey Porter Jr. have stepped straight into prominent roles and made immediate impacts, Miller’s transition has looked entirely different. According to defensive snap counts highlighted by The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Miller has been notably absent from major defensive stat leaderboards.
Through four weeks, Miller has logged just 62 total defensive snaps, averaging roughly 15.5 snaps per game. Despite efficiency indicators from Pro Football Focus—where he holds a respectable overall grade of 78.5—his raw production has stalled at just 5 pressures, 4 hurries, and 2 tackles.
Fixing a Struggling Dallas Defense
The lack of usage is particularly glaring given the state of the Cowboys’ defense as a whole. Struggling in the bottom 10 across every major statistical category—including total defense, run stopping, and pass defense—Dallas has desperately missed a consistent edge presence to complement their front seven. With only four team sacks through their opening four games, the unit is a far cry from the disruptive force the front office envisions.
After coming off a productive 9-sack campaign with the Washington Commanders last year, Miller was explicitly brought in to collapse pockets on third downs and obvious passing situations. Yet, without the necessary snaps on the field, his impact has been severely handcuffed.
Looking Ahead to Thursday Night
If the Cowboys hope to turn their defensive fortunes around, unleashing the future Hall of Famer more frequently might be non-negotiable.
A golden opportunity awaits this coming Thursday night when Dallas hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As the team looks to build momentum, a short week could serve as the perfect stage for Miller to finally break out, silence the early doubts, and prove he is still a game-changing weapon in the Lone Star State.
Do you think the Cowboys should increase Von Miller’s snap count starting this Thursday against the Buccaneers?
