Blogging The Boys
It will be interesting to see if C.J. Goodwin returns to the Cowboys in 2025.
A Dallas Cowboys offseason doesn’t feel complete these days without special teamer C.J. Goodwin getting a new contract. But now that coordinator John Fassel has left for the Titans, will he try to bring along Goodwin to help get things going in Tennessee? And even if not, will Dallas still want to bring the 35-year-old back for another year?
Goodwin has been a pure specialist for the Cowboys since signing as a free agent in the middle of 2018. By the end of 2019, he’d emerged as a premier gunner on coverage units. Despite never playing more than 21 defensive snaps (about 2% of the total) in a season, the so-called cornerback is really just a special teams ace who’s held a roster spot for that role for over six years.
Goodwin especially rose to prominence after Fassel became Dallas’ special teams coordinator in 2020. That year, he recovered a critical onside kick against the Falcons that set up a game-winning drive. He’s also been involved in trick plays on returns (yes, ones that actually worked) in Fassel’s more adventurous moments. But even when not doing the flashy stuff, Goodwin led the Cowboys in special teams tackles from 2019-2021 and has remained a standout gunner even as he’s reached his mid-30s.
Continuing to show up has meant continued short-term contracts from Dallas. Goodwin returned on a one-year deal in 2020, got a two-year extension after that, and then again got single-year contracts in 2023 and 2024. He’s approaching free agency again after just turning 35 this week, but still commanding respect for his NFL niche.
While Fassel’s move to Tennessee may feel like a likely path for Goodwin to follow, keep in mind that he was already a top special teamer in Dallas before Fassel got here. He may be a “Fassel guy” now after the last five years, but he wasn’t one before 2020. If the Cowboys want to give their new ST coordinator, Nick Sorensen, a trusted veteran to help him integrate with the team then keeping Goodwin around could make sense. That is, of course, assuming he’d rather stay here than consider other offers. Or, given his age, that he isn’t retiring.
The downside to keeping Goodwin is the same as it’s always been; another roster spot devoted purely to special teams. Whereas KaVontae Turpin offers some value on offense, and arguably should get more looks there than he does, Dallas never wants to see Goodwin playing meaningful snaps in the secondary.
But again, this isn’t anything new. We’ve said it every offseason, even projecting at times that Goodwin wouldn’t make the 53-man roster, and he just keeps proving the doubters wrong. Now we’ll see if part of his longevity has been tied to Fassel pounding the table to keep him, or if the front office and a new special teams coordinator see the same value.
Sure, C.J. Goodwin is far down...
