Defensive back CJ Goodwin, 36, announced his retirement after 12 NFL seasons and the last eight with the Dallas Cowboys. A core special teams presence—69 tackles with Dallas and 87 total in his NFL career—Goodwin leaves behind a role the Cowboys will have to r
FRISCO, Texas — The message landed quietly, but it changed the math in Frisco immediately: CJ Goodwin is retiring.
Goodwin, 36, spent 12 seasons in the NFL, with the last eight coming with the Dallas Cowboys. In those eight seasons, he played 108 games for Dallas after joining the team in 2018. He also became the second-longest tenured Cowboy on the roster behind Dak Prescott, who preceded Goodwin by two seasons.
The impact wasn’t only visible on game day—it was measurable. Since 2019, Goodwin has been one of Dallas’ key players on special teams. He recorded 69 tackles with the Cowboys. which ranks ninth in Cowboys history for special teams tackles. and he finished with 87 special teams tackles across his NFL career. In 2021. he became the first player in franchise history to lead the team in special teams tackles for three consecutive seasons.
That reputation traces back further than his Dallas tenure. Goodwin went undrafted in 2014. then received a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers after Steelers Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount—whose son attended high school with Goodwin—urged Pittsburgh to give him an opportunity. Pittsburgh signed him as an undrafted free agent afterward. He later played with the Steelers, Falcons, Cardinals, Giants, 49ers and Bengals.
With Dallas, the turn came in October of 2018. The Cowboys signed Goodwin off Cincinnati’s practice squad, and his role quickly settled in. Over his eight seasons with Dallas, Goodwin notched 2,211 snaps on special teams. He primarily worked as a gunner on punt coverage and was one of Dallas’ most impactful defenders on kickoff coverage during his time with the team.
His leadership followed the production. Goodwin was named one of the Cowboys’ six captains in 2025, and the second captain on special teams alongside Brandon Aubrey. He finished 2025 with 18 special teams tackles.
There’s no way to miss the timing of what comes next. In 2026, the Cowboys will have to find a new answer on special teams. Some of their offseason signings—like safety P.J. Locke—have a strong history as defenders on special teams and could become crucial for special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen as he enters his second season in Dallas.
The sequence is stark: Goodwin arrives in 2018. builds one of Dallas’ defining special teams identities from 2019 onward. becomes a captain. and now leaves right as the Cowboys plan their next step. For a unit built on repetition and timing. replacing a gunner who logged 2. 211 special-teams snaps and helped set franchise marks won’t be simple.
Goodwin’s career ends with a clear legacy in Dallas special teams—now the Cowboys’ focus turns to how they’ll fill the space he leaves behind.
CJ Goodwin retirement Dallas Cowboys special teams tackles Nick Sorensen P.J. Locke Brandon Aubrey Dak Prescott