Cowboys Seemingly Make Final Decision on Markquese Bell 4 Months After His Arrest

“I wouldn’t say I’ve peaked yet, so I’m hoping to keep growing.” Just two weeks ago, at the Dallas Cowboys training camp, veteran safety Markquese Bell said this after noting that this is the best he’s been playing since Dallas signed him as an UDFA. Now entering his fifth NFL season, it looks like the front office also agrees with that statement of confidence.

When Dallas visited the Seattle Seahawks for their preseason opener earlier this month, Bell took about 59% of the defensive snaps. He was still healthy when they visited the Arizona Cardinals for their second preseason victory, but Bell was notably left out of the action. Was this a sign that he has already made the final-53? Zach Wolchuk of 105.3 The Fan certainly seemed to think so.

“Interesting note Markquese Bell is not playing tonight,” Wolchuk wrote on X. “Seems like he is safe. Cowboys will have some tough decisions to make in that safety room.”

Now, the Cowboys have seven safeties on the depth chart right now. But with the August 30th roster cuts looming, there could be a major shuffle on the roster under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. The case for Bell to make the team becomes stronger given that strong safety Zion Childress has been dealing with a hamstring injury, and free safety Julius Wood is navigating the concussion protocol after exiting the Week 2 preseason game.

What’s more, teams rarely play their starters in the preseason to avoid injuries ahead of their regular season. Add Bell’s contract – he carries a $2.83M cap hit this year, and a $3.6M cap hit in 2027 – could further work in his favor to solidify his roster spot. Furthermore, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has already highlighted Bell’s prowess when he spoke to reporters on Monday, and was asked how important being able to play on special teams will be for those who want to be a part of the final 53.

“The easy answer is special teams,” Schottenheimer said. “When you get into roster spot 45 through 53, those are usually guys that are not starters or premium players that they play every snap or the majority of snaps, so you have to find guys that have the versatility to play special teams.

“I’ll speak to this young, Markquese Bell. Markquese Bell is one of our most trusted leaders on the special teams. He’s a really good football player. He’s a good defensive player. I think he’s a great special teams player.”

CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 19: Dallas Cowboys defensive back Markquese Bell 14 during an NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers on November 19, 2023 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire NFL: NOV 19 Cowboys at Panthers EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon231119200

For all intents and purposes, it looks like the Star has aligned itself with Bell. The one downside, though, would be his arrest back in April.

Markquese Bell was arrested on 10th April by Prosper police for possession of a controlled substance and mar*j***a, per Colin County Jail records. Officials had smelled the substance after Bell was pulled over that day, and they discovered less than 2 ounces of mar*j***a and a THC electronic cigarette, which led to his arrest. He was reportedly released the very next day on bail.

Now, Bell could still face some disciplinary action from the league, which conducts its own investigation into violations of its personal conduct policy. No such announcement has been made yet, but the league could possibly fine – or worse, suspend – him before the regular season kicks off.

For now, because the Cowboys decided to sit him and because Brian Schottenheimer only had nice things to say about him, it looks like Bell’s job with the Cowboys is safe. Dallas hosts the New Orleans Saints for their final preseason game before the high-stakes football begins. It will be interesting to see whether the Cowboys decide to protect him for this game as well.

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