Dallas Cowboys add veteran WR but not the one you think: Sign T.Y. Hilton to 1-yr deal
One day owner Jerry Jones said the team had not giving up on signing receiver Odell Beckham — “not all with an exclamation point,” Jones said — the Dallas Cowboys have turned their attention to another veteran wide out to bolster a possible Super Bowl run.
The Cowboys signed 10-year veteran T.Y. Hilton to a one-year deal after a visit to the team’s headquarters on Monday.
Hilton, 33, last played in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts, catching 23 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games after starting the season on injured reserved.
Hilton has been idle all season but is healthy and ready to go, per coach Mike McCarthy.
While Beckham refused a work out with the Cowboys during a visit last week, Hilton worked out and passed his physical.
“A great addition,” McCarthy said. “He’s been working all year. He’s in great shape, mentally. He had to work out. Yeah, he worked out. Everything passed flying colors. He’s been working all year. We’ll get him out there Wednesday and get him acclimated.”
Hilton, a four-time Pro Bowler, spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Colts. He’s had five 1,000-yard seasons including an NFL-best 1,148 yards in 2016.
His 9,691 career receiving yards ranks third in Colts history behind Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.
Hilton is not the game breaker he once was but the Cowboys believe he can help bolster their receiver corps and giving them a badly needed deep threat to stretch the field.
Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said Hilston showed the Cowboys during his work out that he could still run.
“The timing was right and he’s ready to go,” McCarthy said. “This time of year, I’ve never experienced the quality of a player like TY Hilton to your roster in December. It’s very unique.”
There is a chance the Cowboys could continue to pursue Beckham but his availability remains in question.
Beckham has not played since suffering a torn ACL in Super Bowl 56 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
He said he has no interest in joining a team until the playoffs.
He spent Monday afternoon going over the playbook with the Cowboys coach.
The Cowboys can’t wait to get him on the field on Wednesday.
This story was originally published December 12, 2022 at 3:29 PM.
