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NFL
James Houston
James Houston
Dallas Cowboys, Defensive End
Age: 27y-3m-19d (Nov 16, 1998)
Exp: 3 Years
Country: US
College: Jackson State
Drafted: Round 6 (#217 overall), 2022
Agent(s): Malki Kawa (First Round Management)
2026 Cap Hit
$1,145,000
2026 Cash
$1,145,000
Career Earnings
$3,139,619
2025-2026 Free Agent (CURRENT)
James Houston signed a 2 year, $2,175,000 contract with the Dallas Cowboys, including an average annual salary of $1,087,500. In 2026, Houston will earn a base salary of $1,145,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1,145,000.
Contract Terms:
2 yr(s) / $2,175,000
Average Salary:
$1,087,500
Signing Bonus:
N/A
GTD at Sign:
Total GTD:
Free Agent:
2027 / UFA
| Year | Age | Cap HitAnnual | Cap % League Cap | Cash Annual | Cash Cumulative | Dead Cap Annual | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
|
27 | $1,030,000 | 0.37% | $1,030,000 | $1,030,000 | - |
| 2026 |
|
28 | $1,145,000 | 0.38% | $1,145,000 | $2,175,000 | - |
| 2027 |
|
29 |
UFA |
| Year | Age | Base P5 Salary | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | Cash Remaining | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
|
27 | $1,030,000 | $1,030,000 | $1,030,000 | $2,175,000 |
| 2026 |
|
28 | $1,145,000 | $1,145,000 | $2,175,000 | $1,145,000 |
Source:
NFL contract specifics generally collected from verified reports.
2022-2024
Contract Terms:
2 yr(s) / $1,575,000
Average Salary:
$787,500
Signing Bonus:
N/A
GTD at Sign:
Total GTD:
Free Agent:
2025 / UFA
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2022-2025 Rookie
Contract Terms:
4 yr(s) / $3,792,016
Average Salary:
$948,004
Signing Bonus:
$132,016
GTD at Sign:
$132,016
Total GTD:
$132,016
Free Agent:
2026 / UFA
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Seasons
3 Years
Career Earnings thru 2026
$3,139,619
Earnings w/ Different Teams
3 teams
Earnings Per Year
| Year | Age | Team(s) | Status | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 24 |
 |
Active
Retained
Retained
|
$235,002 $138,000 $171,183 |
$235,002 $373,002 $544,185 |
|
| 2023 | 25 |
|
Injured
|
$618,888 |
$1,163,073 |
|
| 2024 | 26 |
 |
Retained
Active
|
$609,996 $336,550 |
$1,773,069 $2,109,619 |
|
| 2025 | 27 |
|
Active
|
$1,030,000 |
$3,139,619 |
|
| Total |
$3,139,619 |
$3,139,619 |
||||
| 2026 | 28 |
|
Active
|
$1,145,000 |
||
| Total |
$4,284,619 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Roster | Restructure | Option | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 |
|
$1,541,053 | $132,016 | $25,000 | - | $75,000 | - | $1,773,069 |
| 1 |
|
$304,998 | - | - | - | - | $31,552 | $336,550 |
| 1 |
|
$1,030,000 | - | - | - | - | - | $1,030,000 |
| Year | Team(s) | Age | Base | Signing | Roster | Restructure | Option | Workout | Incentives | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
|
24 |
$235,002 $138,000 $39,167
|
$132,016 |
$235,002 $138,000 $171,183 |
$235,002 $373,002 $544,185 |
|||||
| 2023 |
|
25 |
$518,888
|
$25,000 |
$75,000 |
$618,888 |
$1,163,073 |
||||
| 2024 |
|
26 |
$609,996 $304,998
|
$31,552 |
$609,996 $336,550 |
$1,773,069 $2,109,619 |
|||||
| 2025 |
|
27 |
$1,030,000
|
$1,030,000 |
$3,139,619 |
||||||
| Total |
$2,876,051 |
$132,016 |
$25,000 |
$75,000 |
$31,552 |
$3,139,619 |
$3,139,619 |
||||
| 2026 |
|
28 |
$1,145,000
|
$1,145,000 |
|||||||
| Total |
$4,021,051 |
$132,016 |
$25,000 |
$75,000 |
$31,552 |
$4,284,619 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Roster | Restructure | Option | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 |
|
$1,541,053 | $132,016 | $25,000 | - | $75,000 | - | $1,773,069 |
| 1 |
|
$304,998 | - | - | - | - | $31,552 | $336,550 |
| 1 |
|
$1,030,000 | - | - | - | - | - | $1,030,000 |
Injuries
| Year | Weeks | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
DET |
3 - 18 | Ankle |
-
Dec 12, 2025
Fined $5,722 Roughing the Passer against Detroit (DET)
-
Jul 22, 2025
Signed a contract with Dallas (DAL)
-
Nov 27, 2024
Claimed off waivers by Cleveland (CLE)
-
Nov 26, 2024
Waived by Detroit (DET)
-
Nov 28, 2022
Signed to the active roster by Detroit (DET)
-
Aug 31, 2022
Signed to the practice squad by Detroit (DET)
-
Aug 30, 2022
Waived by Detroit (DET)
-
May 13, 2022
Signed a 4 year $3.79 million contract with Detroit (DET)
-
Apr 30, 2022
Drafted by Detroit (DET): Round 6 (#217 overall)
Fines
| Date | Reason | Fine Amount | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2025 |
|
Roughing the Passer against Detroit (DET) | $5,722 | |
| Fines: 1 | $5,722 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Snaps | Snaps% | Sack | Tackles Total | Tackles Solo | Tackles Assisted | FFum | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | DAL | 17 | 0 | 307 | 25.89 | 6 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | CLE | 11 | 0 | 141 | 11.94 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | DET | 2 | 1 | 32 | 2.72 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | DET | 7 | 2 | 140 | 12.26 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
