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Dallas Cowboys release initial 53-man roster after roster cuts

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz08/26/25NickSchultz_7
Dallas Cowboys helmet
© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys have released their initial 53-man roster. Tuesday marked the last day for roster cuts as teams had to get the rosters down to 53 players now that the preseason is over.

Joe Milton will serve as the Cowboys’ primary backup quarterback to Dak Prescott, and the franchise will carry three running backs on the roster. Rookie Jaydon Blue will join Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders at the position, meaning Deuce Vaughn has officially been waived.

The Cowboys also waived wide receiver Jalen Brooks and traded offensive lineman Asim Richards to the New Orleans Saints. Now, the roster is officially down to 53 with just over a week to go until the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Additionally, the Cowboys are placing two players on injured reserve, as ESPN’s Todd Archer reported. Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and defensive end Payton Turner will both start the year on IR and will miss at least the first four games of the season.

Where does the Micah Parsons situation stand?

Of course, Micah Parsons is also on the 53-man roster, though there are still questions about whether he’ll be on the field for Week 1. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones previously said he wasn’t fully confident Parsons would suit up as he continues his holdout. Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer, though, has struck a different tone and remains confident the star linebacker will play.

“No, because I think at the end of the day, we feel like Micah’s going to be out there when we line up against Philadelphia here in 15 days or whatever it is,” Schottenheimer said last week when asked if it’s difficult to game plan without Parsons in practice. “The answer is, I feel good about that, yeah.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided a further update on the situation Tuesday. He said he’s heard people compare the standoff to Jones’ “Waterloo,” referencing the battle during the Napoleonic Wars which marked the final time Napoleon ran troops into battle. He lost, and “Waterloo” has now come to mean a decisive or final defeat.

“I’ve even heard this situation referred to as Jerry Jones’ Waterloo,” Schefter said on Get Up. “He doesn’t want to lose it. But I’ll say this – we’ve seen other sides come through and get deals done. Still, this one feels a little bit different. Now look, [Terry] McLaurin and [Trey] Hendrickson looked hopeless. And yet, lo and behold, they got deals done. The Dallas Cowboys open their season a week from Thursday night, and Micah Parsons still has a tight back. He still hasn’t practiced. We still don’t know whether he’s going to play. And this is Jerry Jones’ Waterloo.”