The Dallas Cowboys waived Nick Leverett on Monday, moving on from the veteran lineman just as Tyler Smith returned to the lineup. Leverett had played in all five games this season for the Cowboys, so the cut came after he had already been used in the first month of the season.
That is why the Dallas Cowboys Nick Leverett release is drawing attention now. Leverett, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound seven-year NFL veteran, was brought in when Smith went on injured reserve before the regular season and stayed on the active roster through the early part of the year. His roster spot became available again only after Smith was activated to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which shifted the balance on the line and made a veteran reserve easier to sacrifice.
The sequence matters. Before the season, news broke on September 6 that Smith had thumb surgery and was initially expected to miss 4-6 weeks. On September 9, the Cowboys placed the Pro Bowl guard on injured reserve and moved Leverett to the active roster from the practice squad. Leverett then appeared in every game the Cowboys played during Smith’s absence, even though he logged only one regular-season game for the team in 2025.
That part gives the move its edge. A waiver usually signals that a player is no longer needed on the 53-man roster, and in this case the reason is straightforward: Smith is back, the line is healthier, and Leverett is the player who no longer fits. The veteran has experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, but Monday’s move leaves him in a familiar NFL limbo, waiting to see whether another team claims him or whether the Cowboys decide to bring him back in some form.
For now, the cut answers the immediate roster question and opens the next one. Leverett was useful enough to last through five games, but not indispensable once the Cowboys got their starter back.
