DALLAS – The axe is swinging in Big D, and it’s about to come down hard on a former first-round flop who’s been cashing $35 million checks while delivering absolute garbage on the field.
Pro Football Focus dropped the hammer Monday, naming Malik Hooker their No. 1 cut candidate for the Dallas Cowboys heading into 2026 free agency. And honestly? It’s about damn time.
The former No. 15 overall pick out of Ohio State has been riding the Star for five seasons now, collecting fat paychecks while the Cowboys’ secondary has turned into a weekly highlight reel for opposing quarterbacks. His 2025 “effort”? A pathetic 60.8 PFF grade — one of the worst marks for any starting safety in football. That’s not just underwhelming. That’s a disgrace to the silver-and-blue helmet he’s been wearing.
But Jerry Jones and the front office aren’t here for feelings. They’re here for cap space. Cutting Hooker instantly frees up $6.926 million in breathing room — money that can finally go toward “feeding the monster” that is this defense.
Let’s be real: the Cowboys’ secondary is a flaming dumpster fire. Bottom-three in points allowed, yards surrendered, and passing yards given up in 2025. The unit that was supposed to be the strength of the team became its biggest embarrassment. And Hooker? The so-called veteran leader? He started all 12 games he played, racked up a whopping 52 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, and one single pass defense. Zero interceptions. Zero forced fumbles. Zero excuses.
This is the same Malik Hooker the Indianapolis Colts drafted in the first round in 2017, then wisely decided not to give a second contract. Dallas gave him a home and a role for five years — 76 games, 289 combined tackles, 53 starts, nine TFLs, 14 pass breakups, and seven picks. Nice résumé on paper. Reality? A high-priced role player who never became the ballhawk the Cowboys desperately needed.
Now he’s turning 30 this offseason, his production has flat-lined, and the Cowboys are staring at the worst salary-cap situation in the NFL. After slapping the franchise tag on George Pickens, Dallas sits more than $58 million over the cap. Sure, they can restructure Dak, CeeDee, Tyler Smith and others to claw back $131 million. But why keep paying a guy who graded out like a practice-squad rookie when you can cut the cord and actually fix what’s broken?
PFF’s Thomas Valentine nailed it: “The former first-round pick was a part of a Cowboys secondary that needs a revamp in 2026… He’ll be 30 years old heading into the new season but could land with a new team in free agency.”
Translation: Thanks for the memories, Malik. Pack your bags. The massacre in Big D has officially begun.
The Cowboys don’t need more 60.8-grade veterans collecting dust. They need playmakers. They need speed. They need guys who can actually cover somebody. And $6.9 million is a nice little down payment on turning this defense from league doormat back into a legitimate unit.
Jerry Jones doesn’t do half-measures. When the Star demands blood, he delivers.
Malik Hooker just became the first casualty of the 2026 offseason.
Massacre in Big D? You ain’t seen nothing yet.