Cowboys captain announces retirement after 136 NFL games

C.J. Goodwin wasn't the most well-known member of the Dallas Cowboys.

But he was a captain for the Cowboys in 2025 who played in all 17 games.

Now, he's retiring from the NFL, according to Pro Football Talk.

Goodwin is 36 years old now, and he was still technically a free agent as he considered his future.

He spent his NFL career as a special teams ace, turning limited expectations into a long time in the league.

After playing college football as a defensive back at Division II California University of Pennsylvania, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014.

MORE: Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson playing a funny game of chicken

He appeared in games across two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, then in a pair of games with the Arizona Cardinals, before joining the Cowboys in 2018.

From that point on, Goodwin became a mainstay for Dallas.

He played 108 of his 136 NFL games for the Cowboys.

With Dallas, Goodwin forced two fumbles and made 68 tackles.

He played more than 2,000 special teams snaps over his time with the Cowboys, compared to just 62 defensive snaps (and 1 on offense).

It was an unlikely journey, and one that didn't necessarily have Goodwin in the spotlight very often. Clearly, though, the Cowboys determined he was a valuable player.

Now, Goodwin will move on to the next chapter of his life, and the Cowboys will seek out a new special teams captain.

More NFL news:

• A.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs have a Patriots, Bills, Drake Maye, Josh Allen link
• Josh Allen called out by a coach with a major losing record
• Lamar Jackson has an obvious reason not to sign right now
• Commanders have plenty of reason not to want Brandon Aiyuk
• Will they still be called the Chicago Bears if they play in Indiana?