Dallas Cowboys get one step closer to solving important contract dispute without even doing anything

The Dallas Cowboys are breathing a sigh of relief ahead of next week's training camp in Oxnard, California. And not necessarily because of something they've done themselves. 

At the moment, second-round rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku remains unsigned. The edge rusher and the Cowboys didn't have a contract dispute between them exactly but they are part of a league-wide dispute that up until recently resulted in months of 30 second-round picks being unsigned heading into training camp. 

However, that's coming to an end very soon. After all, this was a good ol' fashioned standoff. And the first dominoes are already falling.

What's going on with second-round rookie contracts? 

After the first two picks of the second round from the 2025 NFL Draft signed fully guaranteed deals, agents wanted the same for every other player picked in the second round. After all, it was a good chance to set a precedent. Meanwhile, teams didn't want that for obvious reasons as they bet on players' wishes to be at training camp to win out in the end. 

For months, 30 draft picks remained unsigned. The question was who would cave in first and the hopes of a fully guaranteed deal for New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough fueled players' hopes. But now, two additional second rounders have signed: Chicago Bears DT Shemar Turner and San Francisco 49ers DT Alfred Collins. 

While Collins' deal won't be fully guaranteed, he did achieve 88% of his deal getting guaranteed, a jump compared to last year's 43rd overall pick. 

What this means for Cowboys DE Donovan Ezeiruaku 

One pick after Collins, Ezeiruaku was picked by the Cowboys. A framework now exists to get a deal done and he's likely not getting a fully-guaranteed deal but rather a very similar contract to Collins'. It should be noted the value of the contract is not negotiable, just the guarantees are. 

Sure, a guaranteed deal would be nice. But Ezeiruaku knows showing up to training camp could be more valuable to him. After all, he has a chance to win the starting job at DE but needs to beat out the likes of Marshawn Kneeland, Dante Fowler Jr., and others first. 

Overall, the recent signings around the league are a positive development for the Cowboys as the precedent is on their side.