Cowboys receiver cleared by bodycam footage now looks to clear a crowded wide receiver room

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Traeshon Holden almost had his NFL career ruined before it even got off the ground.

Back in February 2023, while he was playing for the Oregon Ducks, he got arrested on some really serious felony weapon and coercion charges. The police claimed he had threatened a bystander who had pepper-sprayed him during a late-night fight, and Oregon kicked him off the team that exact same day.

Thankfully, the charges didn't stick at all. Once the Lane County District Attorney actually looked at the bodycam and surveillance footage, they realized Holden was actually the one trying to calm the whole situation down. No charges were ever filed, and Oregon brought him back to the team ten days later.

It’s crazy how a misunderstanding like that can totally derail a young guy's life. But Holden bounced back, put up a solid 45 catches for 718 yards and five touchdowns in his final season, and eventually made his way to Jerry Jones’s franchise as an undrafted free agent in 2025.

Dallas signed Holden right after the draft, and he spent all of training camp turning heads. He actually led the Cowboys in receiving yards during his preseason debut and built an instant connection with quarterback Joe Milton. Holden was very much motivated to prove his critics wrong, telling reporters, "I'm coming for heads."

Unfortunately, the hype wasn't quite enough to save his roster spot. Dallas waived him during final cuts, but they kept him on the practice squad before officially re-signing him to a futures deal this past January.

He is now back in training camp, fighting for a spot in a crowded wide receiver room where CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens lock down the top two roles. Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin are right behind them after productive 2025 seasons. That leaves Holden competing with Jonathan Mingo, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and rookie Anthony Smith for one of the final roster spots.

Clearing his name in college is over. Surviving this depth chart is now his actual test.  This summer's training camp will decide if his previous preseason flashes earn him a real roster breakthrough or another ticket to waiver wires.

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