When the room gets too crowded, someone has to leave. At least, that’s what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones feels, no matter what it costs. Ahead of the Cowboys’ stellar 45-10 victory over the Washington Commanders, Jones made changes to the team’s roster that left one player packing. The player in question – KJ Henry, someone who is not a stranger to being moved around within teams.

A little over a month back, Henry was signed by the Cowboys after DeMarcus Lawrence was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury. Aside from being inactive in Week 5 against the Steelers, fans also didn’t see him in Weeks 9, 10, and 11, and now they know why. The Cowboys posted a statement on X stating Henry was waived on Saturday, November 23.

The DE, a 2023 fifth-round draft pick, was released by the Commanders on August 27 and quickly claimed by the Bengals. With the latter, he played two games and was juggled between their active roster and practice. At the start of October, the Cowboys signed him on. With them, he again went on to play two games, recording one sack and three tackles. Now, he’s found himself waived again with a $915K cap hit.

Why such a hefty sum, you ask? Well, Henry was on a four-year contract worth $4.2 million. This included a signing bonus spread over these years. When Dallas claimed him off waivers, they automatically inherited his contract and the signing bonus deal. And now that he has been waived off, his remaining prorated amount from the bonus – the $915K – has become dead money for the Cowboys. Right decision or not, Jerry Jones did the math and considered it a much-needed step.

But was the team hurting without Henry? In their Thanksgiving game, they absolutely dominated the Commanders. Dak Prescott was efficient as usual, throwing for 331 yards and 4 touchdowns. Safe to say, the Cowboys defense, led by Micah Parsons, was relentless. Despite that, the team is now at 4-7 after almost being on the verge of elimination. Making a comeback may still be a distant dream, but their relationship with Henry is over, and if rumors are to be believed, he has moved on.

Eagles swoop in for KJ Henry

Henry seems to have already found a new home. According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, the Eagles weren’t keen on wasting any time. They reached out to the player and asked him to join the practice squad. If this goes through, the Eagles will be Henry’s third NFC East team in just two seasons. Rumors suggest he may be coming on to replace veteran Brandon Graham, who had a season-ending injury during the Sunday night game against the Los Angeles Rams. Apart from Graham, DE Bryce Huff is also on injured reserve following a wrist injury.

The Eagles are sitting comfortably at the top of NFC East with a 9-2 record, reeling off seven straight wins since their bye. To ensure they don’t stumble in December (an eerie reminder of their last season), calculated decisions are being taken. And the idea of bringing in Henry might be one of those. At 6’4” and 254 pounds, the 25-year-old is a powerhouse of energy. Overall, Henry has played 14 NFL games, recording 2.5 sacks. Plus, he is known to swoop in when a team needs an emergency rusher. Quite the eagle-like attitude, eh?

KJ Henry is in shape with all the practices he has been attending. So, all he needs to do is quickly learn the Eagles’ defense. With the team currently managing several injuries, Henry could end up being more than just an option.