Still, the Cowboys are in win-now mode coming off a third straight playoff appearance. Typically, win-now teams that are potentially one or two key players away from making a deeper postseason run are the ones who jump at the chance to add impact free agents during the offseason.

Yet the Cowboys were the only team in the entire league to not sign an external free agent during the legal tampering period this year. As if that wasn’t enough, they saw running back Tony Pollard (Tennessee Titans), defensive lineman Dorance Armstrong (Washington Commanders) and center Tyler Biadasz (Commanders) sign elsewhere.

There is important context, though, to the front office’s decision to not break the bank with major free agency additions.

Quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb are entering the final season of their respective contracts. What’s more, pass-rusher Micah Parsons is signed through just the 2025 campaign.

All three players are likely in line for major deals, and committing to multi-year deals with some of this offseason’s biggest free agents would have impacted the Cowboys’ ability to bring back all three superstars on future contracts.

Dallas could still look to make smaller additions as the offseason continues that won’t prevent it from re-signing Prescott, Lamb and Parsons. And McCarthy suggested as much when he explained why he isn’t too concerned with the lack of additions.