It’s hard enough to find meaningful NFL work as an undrafted rookie, but DJ Rogers faces an even tougher challenge this year with the Cowboys. TE Michael Trigg is getting all of the attention now, meaning Rogers has to not only try to beat veteran talent for a job but also outshine his fellow UDFA this summer.
Background
Years in NFL: 0
Acquired by: UDFA (2026)
Rogers spent five years at TCU, mostly in a backup role until leading all their tight ends in receiving stats last season as redshirt senior. But with the Horned Frogs’ offense not generally featuring TEs, Rogers’ career highs were still just 34 catches for 319 yards and two touchdowns. He entered the draft process without the numbers or nationwide recognition for high stock, though he did at least participate in the Senior Bowl.
Even without much buzz, Rogers’ athleticism and raw ball-catching ability were enough to keep him in the draft conversation. Some even saw him as a potential late-round pick, but Rogers ultimately did not get selected. He would soon sign with Dallas as a free agent, though his arrival was mostly lost in Trigg’s shadow. Rogers will have to make some rapid improvements as a blocker and route technician, based on pre-draft scouting reports, if he’s going to be more than a camp body.
Contract Status
Years Left: 3
2026 Cap Hit: $893k
Like most UDFAs, Rogers got the standard 2-3 year deal for minimal money. He did get slightly less guaranteed money than Trigg, but not enough that would be a meaningful factor at final cuts.
2026 Projections
Role: Backup TE
Roster Chance: 10%
Again, this is going to be a tough group to crack. Even with his extra buzz, Trigg is still an underdog against the veteran trio of Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, and Luke Schoonmaker. Dallas probaby isn’t going to keep four TEs so long as FB Hunter Luepke is around, so that’s just three seats when the music stops.
Rogers’ future is heavy on hope at this point. Even if the Cowboys do cut bait on Schoonmaker, which is still very uncertain, he’d have to get through Trigg and Princeton Fant to take advantage. Fant’s been hanging around the team for three years as a practice squadder and occasional roster call-up, so he can’t be ignored. But again, it’s a moot point if Dallas decides to see things through on the final year of Schoonmaker’s contract.
Rogers’ realistic goal should be to show enough upside that the team wants to keep developing him on the practice squad. That’s far from nothing: the Cowboys have routinely had former undrafted TEs move and grow into roster roles. Spann-Ford looks like he’ll be the primary backup this season, and we’ve seen the likes of Blake Jarwin, Sean McKeon, and Peyton Hendershot in the last few years. If there’s something worth mining out of a TE prospect, Dallas has a great coach in Lunda Wells to find it and maximize it.
Whether it’s for his Cowboys future or maybe a shot with another team, DJ Rogers will be looking to pull some eyes his way in this year’s training camp. He can’t help the intrigue around Michael Trigg now, but he may be able to steal some of that spotlight in Oxnard and in the preseason.
Check out our previous player profiles from this series:
