The free agency is bound to bring a lot of heartbreak as players leave the team.

The 2026 NFL Free Agency is no different, as the latest move by the Dallas Cowboys left one of their players heartbroken.

Jerry Jones and Co. have traded defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers in return for a third-round pick. This trade left their defensive end heartbroken.

Donovan Ezeiruaku posted a picture with Odighizuwa on his Instagram story with the caption "My Brother 💔"

The Cowboys drafted Ezeiruaku in the 2nd round (44th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft, adding him to a defensive line that already included Odighizuwa. And while the Cowboys' defense was disappointing in the 2025 season, the latter was impressed by the DE.

“Eze’s nice, I’m not gonna lie,” Odighizuwa said in July. “He’s very athletic, got good strength to him too despite what you might about his size, he’s very sneaky strong. I think he’s someone who is going to be able to come in and help us a lot.”

Ezeiruaku and Odighizuwa recorded decent numbers together. The former had had 20 solo tackles, 20 assists, and 2.0 sacks in 17 games, while the latter recorded 16 solo tackles, 28 assists, and 3.5 sacks in 17 games.

Losing one of his defensive mates must have definitely hurt the Dallas Cowboys defensive end, especially when that mate has spent all of his career with the Cowboys only.

Osa Odighizuwa's Time With the Cowboys

Odighizuwa was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round (75th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the team, recording 115 solo tackles, 101 assists, and 17 sacks during that span.

He recorded 60 quarterback pressures in 2024, one of the highest totals among NFL defensive tackles. Since 2024, he has produced 32 pressures while double-teamed, the 2nd-most in the NFL in that situation.

As a result of that, he signed a big deal in 2025. The Dallas Cowboys and Odighizuwa signed a four-year, $80 million contract that included a $20 million signing bonus. The deal also offered $52 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $20 million.

Making the money worth it, he generated 52 pressures in 2025, ranking 6th among interior defensive linemen. However, despite all of that, Dallas made a harsh decision to let him go.

Do you think the Dallas Cowboys made the right move by trading him? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Kalp Thaker