Dallas Cowboys Secure Osa Odighizuwa with $80 Million Deal
Hey there, football fans! It’s that time of year again when the NFL offseason buzzes with excitement, and the Dallas Cowboys are making headlines. With free agency looming and the franchise tag deadline just around the corner, the Cowboys have made a significant move to keep one of their own off the market. They’ve locked in defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa with a four-year, $80 million deal. That’s right, folks, $80 million!
Now, let’s break down the details of this deal. Odighizuwa’s contract includes a whopping $58 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus, as confirmed by his agent, Sam Leaf Ireifej, to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Cowboys have been in talks with Odighizuwa’s camp for weeks, and they’ve managed to seal the deal just in time to avoid using the franchise tag.
This move is part of a trend for the Cowboys, who have been handing out big-money extensions to their homegrown talent over the past couple of years. Remember when they extended quarterback Dak Prescott with a four-year, $240 million deal? Or when they secured wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for four years at $136 million? Well, Odighizuwa is the latest to join this elite club. And guess what? The Cowboys are now expected to focus on a long-term deal with their star pass rusher, Micah Parsons.
At 26 years old, Odighizuwa was poised to be one of the most sought-after defensive tackles in free agency. But the Cowboys have managed to keep him in the fold, especially with a scheme change on the horizon under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Executive vice president Stephen Jones had this to say about Odighizuwa: “He’s a homegrown guy who we think is a really good football player.”
Now, let’s talk about the franchise tag. If the Cowboys had tagged Odighizuwa, it would have cost them $25.1 million. This would have been the seventh time in the past eight years that the Cowboys used the franchise tag. The last two players tagged, running back Tony Pollard (2023) and tight end Dalton Schultz (2022), didn’t sign long-term extensions and left the next year via free agency. However, the Cowboys were able to sign Prescott (2020-21) and DeMarcus Lawrence (2018-19) to long-term deals after using the tag a second time.
Odighizuwa, a third-round pick by the Cowboys in 2021 out of UCLA, has been a reliable presence on the field. He hasn’t missed a game in his career, playing 67 straight games with 63 starts. In 2024, he had his best season yet, recording a career-high 4.5 sacks, 47 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass deflection. He was credited with 54 pressures, second on the Cowboys only to Parsons.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 280 pounds, Odighizuwa relies more on leverage and quickness than brute strength, but he holds up well in the run game. He played a career-high 860 snaps (77.9%) in 2024. Over his four NFL seasons, he has amassed 172 tackles and 13.5 sacks.
But the Cowboys’ work isn’t done yet. They have several defensive players set to hit free agency, including Lawrence, cornerback Jourdan Lewis, defensive end Chauncey Golston, and linebacker Eric Kendricks. The team has been meeting with their agents during the combine to see if more deals can be made. So far, Odighizuwa is the only one to have inked a new contract.
- Odighizuwa’s new deal: 4 years, $80 million
- Guaranteed money: $58 million
- Signing bonus: $20 million
- Career stats: 172 tackles, 13.5 sacks
- 2024 season: 4.5 sacks, 47 tackles, 54 pressures
So, Cowboys fans, what do you think of this move? Are you excited to see Odighizuwa continue to anchor the defense? Let us know your thoughts!
Originally Written by: ESPN
