What happened: Rashan Gary told Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News he wants to be a "dominant factor" as he begins his first season with the Cowboys, who acquired him for a fourth-round pick after trading Micah Parsons to the Packers before the 2025 season. Gary is now mentoring young pass rushers Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence as part of Dallas' edge-rusher-by-committee approach. Coach Brian Schottenheimer has praised Gary's professionalism with Dallas' locker room.
Why it matters: Gary is the centerpiece of the Cowboys' plan to replace Parsons' production off the edge, and his shift from mentee in Green Bay to mentor in Dallas will shape how the rebuilt pass rush performs. Dallas has missed the postseason each of the past two years, and Gary's playoff pedigree is part of the appeal after the team's front office overhaul.
By the numbers: Gary has 46.5 sacks across seven NFL seasons and signed a four-year, $96 million extension with Green Bay in 2023. He has played in nine postseason games over those seven seasons, with 2022 the only year he watched the playoffs entirely from home.
What to watch: Watch how the Ezeiruaku-Lawrence-Gary edge rotation is deployed once Cowboys training camp opens.