Frisco, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys returned to the Ford Center at The Star on Tuesday for their first local training camp practice of the 2026 season after spending weeks in Oxnard, California.
Practicing in shells in front of a home crowd, the Cowboys delivered an energetic session featuring several offensive highlights, defensive plays and plenty to evaluate with Friday night’s preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints approaching.
Dak Prescott sets the tone in Cowboys’ first local practice at The Star in Frisco
Dak Prescott was at the center of much of the action, turning in a strong overall practice as the Cowboys continued preparing for the regular season.
One of Prescott’s best throws came on a corner route to George Pickens. Prescott fit the ball into a tight window along the sideline against a tight zone, giving Pickens an opportunity to make a play. Pickens did exactly that.
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The Cowboys’ wide receiver later made a contested catch over cornerback Cobie Durant on a play-action pass. It was another strong rep from Pickens, who has continued to make his presence felt throughout training camp.
The growing connection between Prescott and Pickens remains one of the more intriguing developments surrounding the Cowboys as the regular season gets closer.
Prescott also made an impact with his legs during red-zone work. He scored rushing touchdowns on back-to-back plays, finding the end zone on runs to opposite sides of the field.
The Cowboys obviously have every reason to limit unnecessary hits on their starting quarterback, but Prescott’s mobility remains another dimension defenses have to account for when plays break down.
Tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford makes a spectacular catch
Brevyn Spann-Ford continued to make his case with one of the most impressive offensive plays of the practice.
The tight end made a difficult touchdown catch while falling backward in the back of the end zone. Prescott put the ball toward the back of the end zone, and Spann-Ford adjusted to it while DaRon Bland was positioned on his opposite shoulder. But Spann-Ford managed to secure the catch despite the difficult body position, drawing attention from the home crowd.
The third-year tight end has continued to show development as both a blocker and receiver, and his progress is becoming increasingly important as the Cowboys evaluate their tight end depth heading into the final preseason game.
Cowboys’ defense answers back
The offense wasn’t the only side making plays. Markquese Bell made a strong read on a jet sweep to KaVontae Turpin, quickly diagnosing the play and coming up to make the tackle.
Turpin’s speed makes him one of the Cowboys’ most dangerous players in space, so Bell’s ability to recognize the action and close quickly was a positive defensive rep.
Von Miller also generated pressure during the practice, showing some of the pass-rush ability Dallas expects from the veteran.
Miller did have one costly mistake, jumping offside on a play. In a regular-season game, the penalty would have erased what otherwise would have been a pass breakup by Caelen Carson. Carson otherwise had a productive practice, recording two pass breakups.
PJ Locke nearly turns Prescott’s pass into a takeaway
PJ Locke came close to adding another takeaway to the defensive highlight reel.
Locke broke on a seam pass from Prescott intended for Jake Ferguson and recorded a pass breakup. With slightly better execution, the play could have ended with an interception instead.
The rep was another reminder of how quickly the Cowboys’ defensive backs are reacting to the ball during these late-camp practices.
Caleb Downs records an amazing interception
Rookie safety Caleb Downs also made one of the biggest defensive plays of the evening. Downs recorded his first interception of training camp during red-zone work, picking off Prescott in the back of the end zone.
After securing the acrobatic interception, Downs celebrated by punting the ball across the field, continuing the defensive tradition that has developed around takeaways.
For a young safety competing for an important role, getting a takeaway against Prescott during red-zone work was a significant moment.
The Cowboys manage several players ahead of the preseason finale
Tuesday’s practice also came with roster and health considerations as the Cowboys approached Friday night’s game against New Orleans.
Five players did not practice:
- Tight end Michael Trigg
- Tight end DJ Rogers
- dT Ajani Cornelius,
- DL Jonathan Bullard
- Safety Julius Wood.
Jake Ferguson and Spann-Ford also sat out as part of the plan head coach Brian Schottenheimer established earlier in August to keep starters out of preseason games.
With roster cuts looming, the Cowboys are using these final practices to evaluate position battles and determine which players have done enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
The Cowboys have one more practice at The Star
The Cowboys will return to the Ford Center on Wednesday for their second and final practice at The Star before turning their attention toward Friday night’s preseason finale against the Saints.
Training camp will continue Wednesday, Aug. 26, with Cowboys Night at Ford Center in Frisco. The event begins at 6 p.m., with the open practice scheduled to run from 6 to 8 p.m.
Fans who cannot attend can watch the practice live on TXA 21 or stream it through DallasCowboys.com, the Cowboys Mobile app and Cowboys Now on supported streaming devices. The broadcast will be hosted by Bill.
But with roster decisions approaching, the Cowboys have little time left to make evaluations. The final preseason game will be the last opportunity for many players to make their case before Dallas begins the transition from training camp to the regular season.
