Cowboys' Turpin makes history on 86-yard TD against Commanders

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin. Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Cowboys WR KaVontae Turpin makes history on 86-yard TD against Commanders

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 25, 2025 3:41 PM ET

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin turned on the jets in the second quarter of the team's Christmas game against the Washington Commanders.

With Dallas leading 14-3, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott dropped back and launched a deep ball to the WR on a 3rd-and-11. He then raced past the Washington secondary for an 86-yard touchdown, giving Dallas a 21-3 lead.

In doing so, he set a record. Per Netflix Sports, Turpin's TD was the longest in a Christmas game in NFL history.

That should put Turpin in the holiday spirit and make him feel much better about his 2025. It's been a frustrating season for the fourth-year wideout out of TCU.

Dak Prescott Kavonte Turpin

This pass traveled an air distance of 47.1 yards, per @NextGenStats

DALvsWAS on Netflix
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3XMv1ulQiy
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 25, 2025

2025 hasn't gone to plan for WR KaVontae Turpin

Turpin, 29, seemed poised for a bigger role in the Cowboys offense after signing a three-year, $18M contract extension this offseason. In his first three seasons with Dallas, the WR mainly served as a gadget guy and a return ace.

In his first season under rookie head coach Brian Schottenheimer, that hasn't happened. Through his first 13 games this season, Turpin averaged 23.8 receiving yards per game after logging 24.7 last season. He also had just one touchdown catch. That's far from the "fabulous" outlook the coach had for the WR in the offseason.

"I think we feel like we got much better sense for how we're using him," Schottenheimer said of Turpin in August, via The Athletic's Jon Machota and Jourdan Rodrigue. "Late in practice, we kind of moved CeeDee [Lamb] outside, and Turp went inside. Those guys are a little interchangeable. I think he's going to have a fabulous year. I really do, in every facet."

Turpin's development may have taken a back seat to Dallas figuring out how to maximize WR George Pickens (acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers in May). It clearly did. Entering Week 17, Pickens ranked third in the league in receiving yards (1,342).

Dallas, however, should prioritize unlocking Turpin in the offseason. That could help him make more explosive plays in 2026.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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