Cowboys Re-Sign KaVontae Turpin

KaVontae Turpin has managed to land a deal keeping him in place with the Cowboys. The pending restricted free agent will not need a tender after all.

Turpin and the Cowboys have agreed to a three-year deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. The pact is worth $18MM, Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater of NFL Network add. As a result, Turpin will become the NFL’s highest-paid special teamer once the pact is finalized. That has now taken place, per a team announcement.

$18MM represents the maximum value of the pact, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News notes. He adds Turpin’s annual compensation has the potential to jump from $6MM to $8MM, meaning incentives are present in the deal. Clarence Hill Jr. of All DLLS reports this agreement includes a $3MM signing bonus. There are a total of $5.5MM in guarantees, ESPN’s Todd Archer adds.

Last week, it was reported the Cowboys were prepared to use the second-round RFA tender to prevent Turpin from reaching the market. That would have locked him into a $5.3MM payday for 2025. Instead, the 28-year-old will remain in the fold for the foreseeable future at a slightly higher rate.

Turpin earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie based on his production as a returner. That has remained his most important trait since, with the 2024 campaign consisting of a league-leading 33.5 yards per return average on kickoffs. Receiving a second Pro Bowl invite in addition to a first-team All-Pro nod this past year certainly helped the TCU product’s leverage in negotiations. With this pact in hand, he will be counted on to remain a dynamic playmaker on special teams.

With that said, Turpin’s offensive snap share has increased with each passing season; in 2024, it checked in at 27%. The Cowboys are in the market for a complementary receiver (particularly if Brandin Cooks departs in free agency), but Turpin could find himself occupying a larger role in the passing game as this deal plays out. In any case, Dallas has taken care of an important piece of in-house business.