Cowboys reunite with veteran former Giants, Packers cornerback for '26

The Cowboys continued to address depth within their secondary this offseason this time bringing back veteran cornerback Corey Ballentine, a move aimed more at stability rather than the splashy addition Dallas fans have been waiting for. Ballentine's return comes after a brief but active stint with Dallas in 2025, when he initially joined the team's practice squad on September 26, two days before the Cowboys Monday Night Football, 40-40 tie against the Green Bay Packers. His Christmas wish came true as the team signed Ballentine to the active roster on December 24, a day before the Cowboys 30-23 holiday road win against Washington.

The Cowboys have re-signed CB Corey Ballentine to a one-year deal. He played in five games last season, 47 snaps on special teams and 23 snaps on defense. — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) March 23, 2026 Ballentine entered the league as a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft by the New York Giants appearing in 13 games as a rookie including two starts.

He was waived by the Giants midway through his sophomore season and picked up by the crosstown Jets a day later finishing his 2020 season with the other New York team. After making the Jets squad in 2021, the team released Ballentine after their Week 1 loss against the Panthers marking the start of his journey around the league. Ballentine would spend 2021 with the Lions, 2022 with the Falcons, Cardinals, and Packers.

He would call the 2023 and 2024 seasons in Green Bay home before spending a portion of training camp 2025 with the Colts. Eventually he found his way back to the Packers for a short stint in August before landing in New England just prior to the start of the 2025 NFL season. Dallas came calling after he was cut by the Patriots and on September 26 of this past season, Ballentine would sign onto the Cowboys practice squad remaining with the club in some capacity for the duration of the season.