Getty
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver/return specialist Kavontae Turpin.
Things aren’t getting better for Dallas Cowboys NFL All-Pro return specialist/wide receiver Kavontae Turpin anytime soon.
More details emerged from Turpin’s shocking arrest on drugs and weapons charges in Texas on July 6. TMZ Sports added more context to Turpin’s arrest with a follow up report on July 7.
From TMZ: “Dallas Cowboys star KaVontae Turpin was allegedly hitting speeds near 100 MPH with a gun in his backseat before he was arrested over the weekend, TMZ Sports has learned. According to an Allen Police Department incident report we obtained, Turpin was pulled over at around 11:49 PM on Saturday in Texas after cops say they clocked him going 97 MPH in a 70 MPH zone in his 2022 Dodge. During the traffic stop, authorities claim an unholstered 9MM pistol was seen ‘in plain view’ in the back of the wide receiver’s ride. Less than two ounces of weed, cops added, were later found in the car’s center console.”
According to The Dallas Morning News, Turpin was booked into the Collin County Jail in McKinney, Texas.
“Turpin, 28, was booked and charged initially with two misdemeanors: possession of marijuana (less than two ounces) and unlawful carrying of a weapon,” The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt wrote on July 6. ” … Turpin has had off-the-field issues before. He starred at TCU, but was kicked off the team after he was arrested on assault charges. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and ordered to attend an abuse intervention program.”
Turpin Recently Signed New Contract With Cowboys
Turpin is headed into his fourth season with the Cowboys and led the NFL in kickoff return yards in 2024, when he earned NFL All-Pro honors for the first time. He’s also a 2-time Pro Bowler.
He signed a 3-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Cowboys on March 11.
The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf predicted Turpin could fill a different kind of role in the offense for the Cowboys in 2025.
“I feel like Turpin will be used more as a playmaker than a receiver this year, which is better suited for who he is,” Yousuf wrote on June 19. “This offseason, we’ve seen Turpin carry the ball out of the backfield and run quick routes close to the line of scrimmage that enable him to get the ball in space. There was some of that last year, but last year also featured some deep balls in third-and-10 situations that aren’t what Turpin is built for. With (CeeDee) Lamb and (George) Pickens handling their business, the underneath should open up more for Turpin.”
Cowboys Traded for Elite WR In Offseason
While the Cowboys already had arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver in the fold with perennial NFL All-Pro CeeDee Lamb, they made arguably the buzziest move of the NFL offseason to add more talent in 2025.
The Cowboys took a chance on troubled Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens in a trade that saw them give up a 2026 third round pick and 2027 seventh round pick on May 7.
Pickens has been one of the NFL’s most mercurial (and talented) wide receivers with Steelers, where he had over 750 receiving yards each of his first 3 seasons, including a career high 929 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in 2023.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
