FRISCO, Texas — Head coach Mike McCarthy’s news conference on Thursday brought unexpected news on a longtime veteran. It has been widely known that defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford had been mulling over retirement from the NFL and McCarthy confirmed the news during his press conference at the Star.
“He is going to retire.”
Words that hung in the air for quite some time. An unorthodox way to break the announcement but nonetheless factual. Crawford is hanging up the cleats. He was drafted by the Cowboys in 2012 with the 81st overall pick and made an appearance in 117 games over his career donning the Star.
The Boise State product notched 179 total tackles, 25 sacks, and six passes defensed during his tenure. Throughout his nine-year career, Crawford played both defensive end and defensive tackle. He was originally drafted to play as an end in a 3-4 scheme, but things changed under Rod Marinelli and his base 4-3 principles. He was moved to the interior more often than not at the beginning of his career to play under tackle.
The 31-year-old dealt with a myriad of injuries that derailed his career including a torn Achilles during training camp in 2013 following a reserve role his rookie year in 2012. He returned to full strength in 2014 amassing 33 tackles, three sacks, and 14 quarterback hits from the interior. He established himself as a prominent pass rusher and penetrator from the interior of Dallas’ defensive line, leading to a five-year, $45 million contract extension prior to the 2015 season.
Crawford tallied 35 tackles and five sacks in 2015 but never hit his full potential dealing with a torn rotator cuff. He showed flashes but never found consistency under tackle, prompting a shift from the coaching staff. Crawford was moved out to defensive end in 2016 with the stellar play of Maliek Collins in the interior. Crawford went on to play majorly from right defensive end but had an issue staying healthy. He constantly suffered injuries that limited his snap count on the gridiron.
Crawford suffered a neck injury in the season opener of the 2018 season and in recent years struggled with hip problems. He played through the hip issues in 2018 but the pain caught up to him in 2019. Crawford underwent double hip surgery that limited him to four games in 2019.
He made three starts in 2020 and accumulated 17 tackles, two sacks, and 13 quarterback pressures. A combination of injuries paired with coaches not finding the right fit for Crawford at either end or tackle, hindered his progression.
Linebacker Sean Lee is still in discussions with the Cowboys and has not made a final decision on retirement. The Cowboys enter a new era under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in 2021 but will likely have a similar look to 2019, going back to a base 4-3 defense with Seattle cover one and three coverage tendencies in the backfield. Dallas now has DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory as the D-Line leaders along with recent acquisitions Tarell Basham, Carlos Watkins, and Brent Urban.
