FRISCO, Texas — Tessler Sports announced Sunday that the Dallas Cowboys are releasing offensive lineman Shiyazh Pete. The agency posted the move on X on Sunday.
Dallas has to be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT.
Pete “should get the opportunity to continue developing somewhere this season,” the agency wrote.
Pete joined Dallas on May 1 as one of 11 undrafted free agents in the Cowboys’ 2026 class. His three-year contract, valued at $3,103,000 with $3,000 guaranteed, was reported by Over The Cap. This season, he has a base salary of $885,000 and a cap hit of $886,000.
Players with fewer than four accrued seasons are handled through waivers instead of free agency. Claims must be submitted by noon CT on Monday, and those players who clear waivers can sign with a practice squad, which has 16 spots.
Shiyazh Pete’s Preseason With The Dallas Cowboys
Pete participated in the preseason opener at Seattle on Aug. 15. On Aug. 22 at Arizona, he appeared in six fourth-quarter snaps, blocking for Phil Mafah‘s touchdown run in a 34-13 victory.
Thousands of Navajo Nation members traveled to Glendale for the game. The paid attendance at State Farm Stadium was 62,674. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren attended as a guest of the Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, and Pete received a standing ovation when he checked in. He is the first Navajo Nation member to sign with an NFL team.
Pete spoke with reporters at State Farm Stadium after the game.
“It was surreal. It’s hard to find the words to describe it,” Pete said.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer asked Pete to break the team down in the locker room afterward, and Dallas shared video of the speech the next morning.
Schottenheimer talked about the moment at The Star in Frisco during an availability, as reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer.
“It was very raw. It was very authentic,” Schottenheimer said.
Shiyazh Pete’s Path From New Mexico State To Kentucky
Pete walked on at New Mexico State in 2021 and redshirted. In 2023, he started all 15 games at left tackle and received first-team All-Conference USA honors. He played that season with a cast on a dislocated thumb. The Aggies finished 10-5 and secured a 34-10 victory at Auburn on Nov. 18.
An injury caused him to miss the first six games of 2024, but he returned to start the last six.
Pete transferred to Kentucky for 2025, starting all 12 games at left tackle. Kentucky graded him at 98% on assignments and 76% on technique. The school noted his team-high 35 knockdown blocks and 100 blocks at the point of attack. He also served as one of four game captains at South Carolina.
Dallas worked him at both guard and tackle in Oxnard, California, during camp. He wore No. 75 and is listed at 6-9, 309 pounds.
Dallas Cowboys Offensive Line After Broderick Jones Trade
The Cowboys added to the position group on Saturday, acquiring Broderick Jones and a 2027 fourth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick. Jones was the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft and has 45 games and 38 starts in three seasons.
Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, and Terence Steele are also on the offensive line. Dallas closed the preseason with a 27-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Friday at AT&T Stadium.
