Cowboys Reportedly Won't Exercise Kaiir Elam's 5th-Year Contract Option After Trade

The Dallas Cowboys will not pick up cornerback Kaiir Elam's $12.7 million option for the 2026 season, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The Cowboys acquired Elam from the Bills in March in exchange for a 2025 late-round pick swap and a 2026 seventh-rounder.

Elam is set to make a base salary of $2.6 million in the final season of his rookie contract, per Spotrac. He is now on track to hit unrestricted free agency after the 2025 season.

The Bills used the No. 170 pick received in the trade to draft Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock, who could serve as Elam's roster replacement.

Buffalo traded up to the No. 23 pick of the 2022 NFL draft to draft Elam out of Florida. At the time the Bills were hoping Elam could starting cornerback Levi Wallace, who had just departed in free agency.

But Elam struggled to fit in on Sean McDermott's man-to-man coverage defense, ultimately losing out on the starting job to 2022 sixth-round pick Christian Benford. His Bills career ended in an AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, when he was exposed several times while filling in for Benford.

Elam told DallasCowboys.com's Patrik Walker that he had "a chip on my shoulder" after the trade.

"On the athletic side of the ball, I've always been a great athlete, but I feel like I've strengthened my mental and sharpened my game when it comes to the nuances of the things I didn't know as a younger player," Elam told Walker.

Elam will now look to prove he has upped his game under new Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

Eberflus was working as linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys while Elam's father, Abram, was playing for both teams.

ESPN's Todd Archer reported last month that Elam was "thought of highly" during Eberflus' approach to the 2022 draft as head coach of the Chicago Bears. Elam will now look to prove to Eberflus he can be a more reliable option in the Cowboys' defensive scheme as he heads into his contract season.