The NFL is saying goodbye to another veteran as defensive back C.J. Goodwin has announced his retirement after a 12-season career, including the last eight campaigns wearing the Dallas Cowboys uniform.

The 36-year-old told Rob Metzger of WTOV9 about his decision following his ninth annual PEGA Foundation ALL-Star Sports Camp.

After spending time with the Steelers, Falcons, Cardinals, Giants, 49ers, and Bengals, he eventually found a home with the Cowboys.

According to NBC Sports, since joining the Cowboys back in 2018, Goodwin has appeared in 108 games, becoming the franchise's second-longest-tenured player behind only Dak Prescott.

From 2019 onwards, Goodwin became one of the most important pieces of Dallas’ special teams. Across his eight-year run, Goodwin recorded 69 tackles, which is the ninth-most in franchise history, and logged 2,211 special teams snaps.

Back in 2021, Goodwin made franchise history by becoming the first player to lead the team in special teams tackles for three consecutive seasons.

One of the Cowboys' most impactful special-teamers, he was rewarded by being named one of the team's captains for the 2025 season, along with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Osa Odighizuwa, Donovan Wilson, and Brandon Aubrey.

With him bidding adieu to the Cowboys, the void will be difficult to fill, but the team has already made preparations.

Who replaces C.J. Goodwin in Dallas?

With him out of the team, the Dallas Cowboys could turn to safeties P.J. Locke and Alijah Clark as the leading candidates to fill that role in 2026.

Signed this offseason, P.J. Locke could be Goodwin's biggest replacement. According to Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com, Locke brings extensive special teams experience and could be crucial for coordinator Nick Sorensen.

“Some of their offseason signings, like safety P.J. Locke, have a strong history as defenders on special teams and could end up being crucial for special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen in his second season in Dallas,” writes Yarrish.

While Locke is certainly an enticing option, Clark remains an intriguing internal candidate.

He logged between 50% and 60% of the special teams snaps in most of his appearances, with one game eclipsing the 75% mark. His production level is similar to Goodwin's, and he has the makings of a special teams ace.

Neither of them is a direct replacement for a three-time consecutive special teams tackle leader, but both have shown enough production to give the Cowboys reason to consider them.

Can P.J. Locke or Alijah Clark successfully fill C.J. Goodwin's massive shoes in 2026? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore