Cowboys Terence Steele Update: Ready to Play - and Pay?

Good health. And a healthy paycheck. As training camp opens in Oxnard, Terence Steele has a chance at both.

Through Week 14 last season, there was not a better player on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line than Steele. Per PFF, the tackle posted a 73.9 blocking grade - ranking best on the roster and No. 20 in the entire NFL before a season-ending ACL tear against the Houston Texans. 

An undrafted free agent in 2020, the fourth-year tackle has quickly proven to be a gem for the Cowboys front office - starting 14 games as a rookie and 40 total over the past three seasons. But while both parties beat the deadline this offseason that saw the signing of Steele to a second-round restricted free agent tender, the 26-year-old will obviously ask for a raise when it's time to restructure a new deal. 

And according to our Mike Fisher at CowboysSI.com, that time has come as the Cowboys have “touched base” on the idea of a coming new deal. And what does another plugged-in outlet think?

"He’s playing this year under a one-year, $4.3 million contract," The Athletic writes. "Considering how difficult it is to find quality starting offensive tackles, Steele will be looking for more than what his current contract is paying. Twenty-eight offensive tackles average at least $10 million per season. Thirty-six make at least $7 million per year."

Assuming what we’ve been told is true - that Steele's injury is no longer something to consider a problem - we’ve seen video of his workouts and he looks ready - the Dallas front office can keep prepping to pull out that wallet. (It's possible that Steele spends a brief time on PUP at the start of camp.)

Dallas is expecting to pay a handful of others soon, if possible, including quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver CeeDee Lamb and cornerback Trevon Diggs - all equally deserving of paydays in their own right. But if the Cowboys are looking to win with this core, Steele's services need to be included among the priorities … and we trust that is the case.

You can find Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppardCOWBOYS FISH REPORT … now a podcast! Join us inside The Star, ANY TIME!