The Dallas Cowboys decided on Wednesday that defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa was not worth keeping on the team, so the Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers worked out a deal for him.
Odighizuwa now goes to another NFC team and, at some point, might get a chance to get back at the Cowboys for trading him.
49ers Get DT Osa Odighizuwa From Cowboys in Trade
The 49ers missed out on getting star defensive players in free agency like Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, Boye Mafe, and Jaelan Phillips. They also lost one of their own as Jordan Elliott signed with the Tennessee Titans. But they traded to get Odighizuwa, who will be a valuable addition to the team.
On Wednesday afternoon, Jordan Schultz of The Schultz reported posted on X, “BREAKING: The Cowboys are trading DT Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers, multiple sources tell me. The disruptive Odighizuwa had 17 sacks, 34 TFLs, and 2 forced fumbles during his tenure in Dallas.”
BREAKING: The #Cowboys are trading DT Osa Odighizuwa to the #49ers, multiple sources tell me.
The disruptive Odighizuwa had 17 sacks, 34 TFLs and 2 forced fumbles during his tenure in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/e9YmbXZXrC
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 11, 2026
Later on, Schultz also posted information about the trade itself in a new post on X: “Sources: The 49ers send a 3rd-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for Osa Odighizuwa.”
According to contract information from Spotrac, “Osa Odighizuwa signed a 4-year, $80,000,000 contract with the Dallas Cowboys, including $20,000,000 signing bonus, $52,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $20,000,000.
“In 2026, Odighizuwa will earn a base salary of $16,250,000, while carrying a cap hit of $20,750,000 and a dead cap value of $32,750,000,” Spotrac indicated.
Field Yates, Fantasy Football and NFL Draft analyst for ESPN, clarified some information about the trade between the 49ers and Cowboys. Yates posted on X, “This is pick #92 overall. While the Cowboys own two first-round picks, they had no second or third-rounders prior to this. They have picks 12, 20, and 92 in the top 100 now.”
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero offered some other context on why the Cowboys made this trade at this time.
Pelissero posted on X, “The Cowboys signed Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year, $80 million deal last March. But then Dallas traded for Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, who are both in line for extensions. Too much money tied up in one position, so the Cowboys gain flexibility while SF gets a starting DT.”
According to the PFSN NFL Defense Impact Metric, measured through the regular season, the 49ers’ defense ranked 26th in the league, posted an impact score of 67.6, and graded out to a D+. As for the Cowboys, they had the worst defense in the league, with an impact score of 62.1 and a grade of D-.
The 49ers also lost their defensive coordinator from last season in Robert Saleh, who is now the head coach of the Titans. Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is currently the defensive coordinator for San Francisco, and he would definitely love the addition of Odighizuwa to the team.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
