💥 BREAKING: Cowboys Shock Fans by Benching $36 Million Star Kenneth Murray After Unthinkable Struggles.QQ

In a season teetering on the edge of playoff contention, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves at a crossroads with their linebacker corps. With just four games left in the 2025 regular season, the most straightforward strategy seems obvious: play your best players. Yet, for a franchise like the Cowboys, simplicity is often elusive. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and the coaching staff have stubbornly stuck with Kenneth Murray as the starting inside linebacker, despite his abysmal performance, while $36 million acquisition Logan Wilson languishes on the sidelines with limited snaps. Fans, analysts, and even logic are screaming for a change—bench Murray and unleash Wilson before it’s too late.

The Cowboys’ defense has shown flashes of improvement since the bye week, particularly with additions like Wilson bolstering the unit alongside DeMarvion Overshown. However, Murray’s continued presence as a starter remains a glaring weak link. Acquired from the Tennessee Titans in a March 2025 trade that cost Dallas a 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for Murray and a seventh-rounder (which they used on Clemson RB Phil Mafah), Murray was supposed to shore up the linebacker group. Instead, he’s become a symbol of the team’s defensive woes.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades tell a damning story. In 2024, Murray posted a dismal 45.9 overall grade, ranking him 169th out of 189 eligible linebackers. Fast forward to 2025, and the issues persist. Through 13 games with the Cowboys, Murray has started all of them, tallying 36 tackles, but his play has been marred by slow reactions, poor run fits, high missed tackle rates, and bottom-tier coverage skills. In Week 14’s loss, he was called out as a liability, frequently out of position and contributing to the defense’s collapse. ESPN’s Mina Kimes was prophetic back in June 2025 when she critiqued the move: “They traded for Kenneth Murray Jr., who, I’m just not a fan of his game, to be honest. And I don’t think he solves any of their problems… that’s a very, very weak linebacker group.”

Murray’s strengths are limited—primarily as a pass rusher—but in a position demanding versatility against the run and pass, he’s fallen flat. His 2025 PFF overall grade hovers around the low 40s, placing him near the bottom of the league once again, dead last among qualifiers in some metrics. Cowboys fans on social media have been vocal, with one Redditor lamenting, “Kenneth Murray is genuinely the worst Linebacker I have ever seen,” and another on Threads highlighting his “liability all year long.” It’s not just fan frustration; the numbers and film back it up. Murray’s presence is actively hindering a defense that’s otherwise trending upward with players like Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa making impacts.

Enter Logan Wilson, the $36 million linebacker acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals on November 4, 2025—the trade deadline—in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick. Wilson, a 6-foot-2, 245-pound force, was a two-time All-Mountain West Conference pick at Wyoming before being drafted in the third round (No. 65 overall) in 2020. He became a full-time starter in his second season, helping propel the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in 2021. Over the last four seasons, Wilson has consistently delivered over 100 tackles annually, amassing impressive career stats: 12 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles, 26 pass deflections, 19 tackles for loss, and 18 quarterback hits.

In 2025, before the trade, Wilson’s playing time in Cincinnati had dipped due to a crowded linebacker room and a calf injury, limiting him to just 58 snaps from Weeks 6-8 and missing Week 9. Since joining Dallas, he’s seen increased action, recording 46 tackles, a fumble recovery, and four passes defensed through limited opportunities. Yet, despite these contributions, he’s not the unquestioned starter, often rotating behind Murray. Cowboys fans are baffled, with one X user, Meccha Mike, posting: “Why did we trade for Logan Wilson? I don’t want to hear the ‘he needs to learn the playbook’ excuse. Your starter doesn’t know what he’s doing.” Another, Honest Gabe, echoed: “I still don’t understand why Kenneth Murray is allowed to take the field on defense when you have Logan Wilson. The math isn’t mathing.”

The trade for Wilson was meant to inject youth and playmaking into the linebacker position, especially after placing Jack Sanborn on injured reserve. ESPN noted Wilson’s arrival as a clear indictment of Murray’s struggles. With two years left on his four-year, $36 million deal, Wilson isn’t just a rental—he’s a proven asset being underutilized. As the Cowboys push for a playoff spot, currently sitting at a precarious record after a Week 14 setback, the defense’s transformation post-bye (including better pass coverage from the linebacker group) hints at what could be if Wilson takes the reins fully.

Jerry Jones and the front office can’t ignore the failed Murray experiment any longer. The cost—both in draft capital and on-field performance—is too high. Analysts like those at Heavy.com are calling out the Cowboys for not giving the former AFC North standout more field time. With matchups against tough opponents looming, including the Detroit Lions in Week 14 where Overshown and Wilson were expected to shine, it’s time for a bombshell move: bench Murray and start Wilson. It could be the difference between a postseason berth and another disappointing end to the season.

This isn’t just about one player—it’s about maximizing talent in crunch time. The Cowboys have the pieces; now they need to play them. Will Eberflus and company listen to the growing chorus, or will stubbornness seal their fate? The clock is ticking with four games to go.