Traeshon Holden knew he'd made a monumental mistake when he tried- and failed- to pick up a loose ball on his own 2-yard-line. The gaffe gave the Seahawks excellent field position late in Saturday night's preseason opener, and the 2025 undrafted free agent out of Oregon could be seen shortly afterward, inconsolable on the bench, hiding his head under a towel.
Incredibly, the Dallas defense was able to save Holden's error from costing the Cowboys points.
The same can't be said for Holden's job. The undrafted wideout, 25, was waived on Monday, the Cowboys announced.
A roster move was going to have to be made in order to formalize the addition of eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller, who came to terms with the team Sunday night. Holden's muff only made the decision easier for the coaching staff.
Holden showed impressive flashes of promise in last year's training camp, enough to land him a spot on the practice squad. He did not see the active roster, however, during the season.
The Cowboys cut WR Traeshon Holden to make room for Von Miller, per source. Holden had a muffed punt in the last preseason game against the Seahawks.
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 17, 2026
The Florida native who began his college career at Alabama before transferring to Eugene was facing another uphill battle on the Cowboys' WR depth chart this summer. Behind starters CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are KaVontae Turpin, Ryan Flournoy, and name veterans Jonathan Mingo, Denzel Mims, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Additionally, the club has Tyler Johnson, Jaden Smith, Anthony Smith, Jordan Hudson, and Camden Brown-who caught two touchdown passes in Saturday's win- also vying for a job.
Another team may now make a waiver claim on Holden. If no one does, he is free to sign with any club or even return to the Cowboys.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: UDFA's preseason mistake proves costly; Cowboys WR waived to make room for Von Miller