Kolby KickingWoman
ICT
Shiyazh Pete’s dream of playing in the National Football League is temporarily on hold.
The towering 6-foot-8, 322-pound offensive lineman, the first citizen of the Navajo Nation to sign with an NFL team, was released by the Dallas Cowboys Sunday as the deadline for teams to trim down to official 53-man rosters came and went.
Pete’s agent, Brett Tessler, made the announcement in a post on X.
“The Dallas Cowboys are releasing my client Shiyazh Pete (OL, Kentucky). Had a memorable preseason and should get the opportunity to continue developing somewhere this season,” Tessler posted Sunday morning.
Along with the 53-man roster, each NFL team can sign up to 16 players on a practice squad. While not being active on gamedays, individuals on the practice squad can help a team provide depth at different positions and can be promoted to play in games or be signed by other teams.
As of this story publishing, Pete cleared waivers – which makes him eligible to sign with a new team – but had yet to find a new home.
Initially signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Cowboys, Pete made history when he took the field during the preseason. In the second preseason game versus the Arizona Cardinals. Pete received a standing ovation from hundreds of Indigenous fans who traveled to Glendale, Arizona for the game.
After the contest, Pete went viral on social media for a postgame speech he gave to the team in the locker room.
“Well, that was an incredible win,” Pete said in a video released by the Cowboys. “I am very fortunate to be amongst you and to play in the same field and wear the same star … on our chest. And I’m proud of us, proud of how far we’ve come. Man, this game, fate brought us here as strangers, but this game, this star, this team will make us brothers.”
Ahead of the game against the Cardinals, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said in a Facebook post that reaching the NFL stage is a “a tremendous milestone, and it reflects the dedication, perseverance, and determination that inspire all of us.”
“The entire Navajo Nation is proud to stand behind Shiyazh as he represents our people on one of football’s biggest stages. His journey is an inspiration to our young people and a reminder that with hard work and commitment, new milestones can be achieved,” Nygren said in the post.
ICT will continue to follow any updates on Pete’s status, should he sign with a team.
Elsewhere, wide receiver Xavier Guillory, Nez Perce Tribe, was signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad.
Guillory’s rookie year was derailed last season after suffering a season-ending broken clavicle in the team’s third preseason game.
“Time to heal, I’ll be back,” Guillory wrote on X on Aug. 26, 2025.
Time will tell and Indian Country will certainly be watching to see if and when these Indigenous athletes take the field this upcoming season.
