Terence Steele Bio
Terence Steele is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing around 141 kilograms, he plays a key role on the offensive line and has become a reliable presence at right tackle since joining the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Steele developed into a starter at Texas Tech before signing with his hometown-adjacent Cowboys and growing into one of the team’s most durable linemen.
Early Life and Background
Terence Steele was born on June 4, 1997, in San Antonio, Texas. He grew up in the same city where he would later attend high school, attending Byron P. Steele II High School, where he developed into a Division I prospect at the offensive tackle position. As a senior, he was the starter at left tackle and earned All-District 25-6A honors along with San Antonio Express-News first-team All-Area recognition.
Coming out of high school, Steele was rated a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 179 offensive tackle and the No. 239 overall player in Texas in his recruiting class. He chose Texas Tech over scholarship offers from BYU, North Texas, and UTSA, opting to develop his game in a pass-heavy college offense. That decision would prove formative, as the Red Raiders’ system prepared him for the demands of professional football.
Path to American Football
Steele arrived at Texas Tech in 2015 and redshirted his first year before breaking into the lineup. As a redshirt freshman, he played under head coach Kliff Kingsbury and started the first 10 games at left tackle before finishing the season on the right side. That year, he protected future NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes and helped the Red Raiders lead the nation in passing yards and total offense, earning All-Big 12 freshman team recognition.
Across his next three college seasons, Steele continued to start at right tackle. As a sophomore, he started all 13 games and helped the team rank in the top 25 nationally in passing yards, total offense, and scoring. As a junior, he started all 12 games and contributed to top-20 marks in passing yards per game, total offense, scoring, and sacks allowed. As a senior, he missed the first two games with a preseason injury that snapped a streak of 37 consecutive starts, then started 10 more games and finished his career with 47 starts. He later participated in the 2020 Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
Terence Steele Career
Early Career (2020)
Steele signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2020, after the NFL draft. Because of season-ending injuries to starting right tackle La’el Collins and backup Cameron Erving, he was pressed into the starting lineup and became just the fourth offensive tackle in the Super Bowl era, and the ninth in league history, to start at least 14 games as an undrafted rookie. He played all 16 games with 14 starts, weathering midseason benchings and injuries to teammates while showing growth down the stretch.
His rookie year included several tough moments. In the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, he held his own until surrendering a crucial sack on the final drive. He was later replaced by Zack Martin in the third game against the Seattle Seahawks and benched in the tenth game against the Minnesota Vikings. When both Martin and Erving went down with injuries in week 11, Steele started the rest of the season and steadily improved through December.
Cowboys Breakthrough (2021-2022)
In 2021, Steele had firmly established himself as a versatile piece of the Cowboys’ offensive line. He started 10 games during the season, including contests at right tackle even after Collins returned from suspension. From weeks 2 through 8, he started at right tackle, then moved to left tackle for three games when Tyron Smith was injured. He missed the week 13 game while on the COVID-19 list. On December 26 against the Washington Football Team, he reported as an eligible receiver and caught his first NFL touchdown pass from Dak Prescott.
The 2022 season brought a new role and a difficult ending. Steele started 13 games at right tackle and continued to develop into a reliable blocker before a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee against the Houston Texans in Week 14 sent him to the Reserve/Injured list and ended his year. Jason Peters and Josh Ball took over the starting duties during his absence.
Dallas Cowboys Era (2023-Present)
On September 3, 2023, Steele signed a five-year, $86.8 million contract extension with the Cowboys, a major commitment to a player who had entered the league with no draft pedigree. He rewarded that investment by starting all 17 games at right tackle for the first time in his career. He was part of an offense that led the league in scoring at 29.9 points per game and ranked fifth in yards per game at 371.6. In a Week 10 win over the New York Giants, he helped the offense post 640 total yards, the second most in a single game in franchise history. In the Wild Card playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers, he was part of an offense that produced 510 total yards and 37 first downs, both franchise postseason records.
In 2024, Steele again started all 17 regular season games at right tackle and was the only Dallas Cowboy to play 100 percent of the offensive snaps on the season. He contributed to a season in which Rico Dowdle became the first undrafted free agent in team history to rush for 1,000 yards. His durability and consistency have made him one of the cornerstones of the Cowboys’ offensive line.
Driving Style and Strengths
Steele is recognized for his size, athleticism, and positional flexibility, having started games at both left and right tackle in the NFL. His strength in pass protection has allowed quarterbacks like Dak Prescott to operate comfortably, while his run blocking has supported productive rushing seasons. Pairing consistency with the ability to play every snap, he has earned the trust of the coaching staff and a long-term contract.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Steele’s most memorable moments are his first NFL touchdown catch from Dak Prescott in 2021, his five-year, $86.8 million extension in 2023, and his perfect snap count across the 2024 regular season. He was also part of the offensive line that produced the second-most total yards in a single game in Cowboys history and helped set new postseason franchise records for yards and first downs in the 2023 Wild Card round.
Terence Steele Career Highlights
Cowboys Highlights
Steele has spent his entire professional career with the Dallas Cowboys after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has started at both right and left tackle, caught a touchdown pass in 2021, played through a significant knee injury in 2022, and returned to start all 17 games in both 2023 and 2024. His role on one of the league’s highest-scoring offenses in 2023 and his perfect snap participation in 2024 highlight his value to the team.
Other Performances
Before turning professional, Steele earned All-Big 12 freshman team honors at Texas Tech in 2016 and received honorable-mention All-Big 12 recognition after both his junior and senior seasons. He finished his college career with 47 starts and participated in both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine as one of the top under-the-radar offensive line prospects in the 2020 draft class.
Terence Steele Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Steele’s immediate family is limited. He grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and attended Byron P. Steele II High School, where he built the foundation for his football career. No further details about his parents or siblings are publicly verified.
Personal Life
Steele has largely kept his personal life private. He resides in the Dallas-Fort Worth area while playing for the Cowboys. Verified details about a spouse or children are not publicly available.
2025 Season Outlook
Heading into the 2025 season, Steele is firmly established as the Cowboys’ starting right tackle and a leader of the offensive line. Following a 2024 campaign in which he was the only Dallas player to play 100 percent of the offensive snaps, expectations are high for another full, durable season. His five-year contract extension runs through 2028, giving the team long-term stability at the position.
Key storylines to watch include how the Cowboys shape the rest of the offensive line around him and whether the offense can recapture its 2023 form after a disappointing playoff exit. Steele’s consistency and pass protection will be central to the performance of quarterback Dak Prescott and the running game. With his contract security and proven durability, he enters 2025 as a foundational piece of the Cowboys’ roster.