Bryan Anger remains the Cowboys’ long-range punting constant, but 2026 could bring a late competition wrinkle

The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2026 offseason with a punting picture that is unusually settled for a position that normally attracts camp competition. Bryan Anger, the team’s long-running specialist, is expected to remain the clear option as training camp approaches, with no obvious internal challenger named in a Cowboys roster rundown published July 4, 2026.

Anger’s tenure in Dallas is part of the appeal, and also part of the caution. Cowboys coverage notes that Anger, like fellow specialists Brandon Aubrey and Trent Sieg, does not currently have a listed alternative competing for his specific role. That matters because it can shape how the coaching staff plans reps in Oxnard, whether they use practice as evaluation time or as continuation for a familiar option.

The biography context makes the stability notable. Anger was selected in the 2012 NFL Draft by Jacksonville as a third-round pick, a draft position that the coverage highlights as the highest for a punter since Dustin Colquitt in 2005. From there, his career moved through multiple teams in quick succession before settling in Dallas. The roster rundown ties Anger’s early success to setting an NFL rookie record for average punting yards and then leading the league in punting yards in 2013.

In Dallas, the best stretch of Anger’s modern career is described as coming later, when his workload and role became fully embedded. Over the most recent five seasons referenced in the rundown, Anger is credited with making two Pro Bowl appearances and earning two Second-Team All-Pro selections. The same source points to 2023 as a statistical highlight season with a 51.4-yard average, and to 2022 for his longest punt of 83 yards.

Still, the roster storyline is not purely nostalgic. Cowboys coverage also flags the financial angle, noting that Anger is among the higher-cost punters by average at the time of publication and that he carries a particularly high cap hit for the 2026 season. The article further adds that the deal includes relatively limited dead money, framing an August release scenario as a lever Dallas could pull if the team wanted to change direction.

Taken together, the situation portrays a punting role that looks secure on paper but not immune to late changes. Even if there is no clear challenger today, specialist jobs can flip quickly once training camp begins and teams become aware of which reserve legs can hold up consistently, especially in long-distance and hang-time situations. Dallas, in that sense, may use camp to confirm that the incumbent still provides value, while also preserving optionality if the cost-benefit equation shifts.

What to watch next is whether Dallas adds any late punting competition before camp and how the team structures practice reps. If Anger continues to handle the workload cleanly, his stability could remain the dominant theme. If instead Dallas brings in competition or indicates a willingness to reduce Anger’s role due to performance or roster math, the 2026 punting picture could become a more active part of the team’s final roster decisions.