The Dallas Cowboys waived outside linebacker Tyrus Wheat on Saturday as part of a series of roster adjustments ahead of Sunday’s home matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
The moves also included placing running back Tyler Goodson on injured reserve with a knee injury, activating defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard from injured reserve (designated for return), signing tight end James Mitchell from the practice squad to the active roster, and elevating running back Israel Abanikanda and cornerback Derion Kendrick from the practice squad for the 49ers contest.
Rookie cornerback Devin Moore, whose 21-day practice window had opened earlier in the week, remains on IR.
Wheat, 26, is a 6-foot-2, 260-pound edge defender who entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in 2023.
He began his professional career with the Cowboys (2023-24), was claimed by the Detroit Lions for the 2025 season after Dallas waived him at final cuts, and returned to the Cowboys in March 2026 on a one-year deal.
At Mississippi State, Wheat earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2022 after a productive career that included multiple seasons leading the Bulldogs in sacks.
In the NFL, he has primarily contributed on special teams, with limited defensive snaps.
During his 2025 stint in Detroit he set career highs with 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks while playing in 15 games.
In 2026, with Dallas he appeared in five games, recording three tackles and no sacks on roughly two dozen defensive snaps, while logging the bulk of his work on special teams.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer had praised Wheat earlier in the year for earning his way back onto the roster after the previous season’s cut, citing his special-teams value, motor, and reliability as a depth option in a crowded edge group that has included veterans such as Rashan Gary and Von Miller.
Wheat’s role remained rotational and largely non-essential on defense amid injuries elsewhere on the edge (including Donovan Ezeiruaku being ruled out against San Francisco).
The Cowboys enter Sunday’s game at 4-5 against a 7-1 49ers squad.
Waiving Wheat appears to be a straightforward roster-management decision to create space for higher-priority activations and elevations rather than a reflection of any single performance.
As an undrafted free agent with experience, he is expected to draw interest elsewhere if he clears waivers or could be a practice-squad candidate depending on eligibility and other teams’ needs.
