The Dallas Cowboys saw their offseason take another dramatic turn on Sunday morning when NFL All-Pro return specialist Kavontae Turpin was arrested on drug possession and weapons charges in Texas.
According to The Dallas Morning News, Turpin was booked into the Collin County Jail in McKinney, Texas.
“Turpin, 28, was booked and charged initially with two misdemeanors: possession of marijuana (less than two ounces) and unlawful carrying of a weapon,” The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt wrote on July 6. ” … Turpin has had off-the-field issues before. He starred at TCU, but was kicked off the team after he was arrested on assault charges. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and ordered to attend an abuse intervention program.”
Turpin is headed into his fourth season with the Cowboys and led the NFL in kickoff return yards in 2024, when he earned NFL All-Pro honors for the first time. He’s also a 2-time Pro Bowler.
He signed a 3-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Cowboys on March 11.
Turpin Projected for ‘Bigger Role’ in Offense
The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf predicted Turpin could fill a different kind of role in the offense for the Cowboys in 2025.
“I feel like Turpin will be used more as a playmaker than a receiver this year, which is better suited for who he is,” Yousuf wrote on June 19. “This offseason, we’ve seen Turpin carry the ball out of the backfield and run quick routes close to the line of scrimmage that enable him to get the ball in space. There was some of that last year, but last year also featured some deep balls in third-and-10 situations that aren’t what Turpin is built for. With (CeeDee) Lamb and (George) Pickens handling their business, the underneath should open up more for Turpin.”
The biggest upside role for Turpin in the offense would be as a legit WR3 option — something most teams struggle to find.
“We’re all talking about CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and rightfully so,” Ernie the Cowboys Fan wrote on his official X account on July 2. “They’re the best WR duo in the NFL… but we need to talk about how dangerous KaVontae Turpin is as a WR3 in this #Cowboys offense.
Dismissed From TCU Over Domestic Violence Arrest
Turpin was one of the best special teams players in the country over his final 2 seasons at TCU and had 6 career special teams touchdowns when he was dismissed from the team over 2 domestic violence charges.
Turpin, a 2-time All-Big 12 pick, already had his size working against him at just 5-foot-9 and 153 pounds and ultimately went undrafted in 2019.
For the next 3 years, Turpin kept his NFL dreams alive by bouncing around the nether regions of professional football. That included one season with the Frisco Fighters in the Indoor Football League in 2020, one season with the Wroclaw Panthers in the European League of Football, one season with the Glacier Boyz in the Fan Controlled Football League and one season with the Sea Lions of the The Spring League.
Finally, in 2022, Turpin caught a break with the New Jersey Generals in the USFL in 2022. With the Generals, Turpin was named USFL Most Valuable Player with 921 all-purpose yards and 5 touchdowns in just 10 games.
