The Cowboys’ defense has already taken a slight hit. 

Dallas pass rusher Charles Snowden has been suspended for the first three games of 2026, according to the NFL’s transactions wire. 

While Snowden reached a plea agreement to resolve a driving under the influence arrest from January 2024, the incident was still deemed a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy and led to the suspension, per NFL Network. 

Snowden won’t be eligible to play until the Cowboys’ Week 4 game against the Texans, but he can participate in training camp and the team’s three preseason games. 

The 28-year-old will miss games against the Giants, Commanders and Ravens. 

Before joining the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2021, Snowden spent four years at Virginia, where he tallied 15 sacks and 191 tackles. 

Snowden made his NFL debut in December 2021 with the Bears and joined the Buccaneers practice squad in 2022, but couldn’t carve out much of a role. 

The pass rusher then found a spot with the Raiders in 2024, recording 1.5 sacks and 39 tackles. 

Last year with Las Vegas, Snowden played in 15 games, tallying three sacks while grabbing his first career interception. 

Snowden was waived by the Raiders on May 2 and signed with the Cowboys on June 18.

While Snowden might not be a star player, the Cowboys’ pass rush is relatively thin. 

Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku make up the rest of the Cowboys’ unit, one that’s still searching for an adequate Micah Parsons replacement. 

Ezeiruaku had two sacks in 2025 while Gary had 7.5 with the Packers. 

Despite an electric offense, the Cowboys’ defense hindered them from making the playoffs last year, leading Dallas to take safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 in the NFL draft. 

The Cowboys kick off the regular season on Sept. 13 at the Giants.