The Dallas Cowboys have reached a five-year, $86.8-million contract extension, including $50 million guaranteed, with their right tackle Terence Steele, ESPN reported on Sunday. The deal can max out at $91.8 million.

Steele joined the Cowboys as an undrafted player in 2020. He has started 40 of his 45 games for the team since then and could have made more appearances if he hadn't suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and medial patellofemoral ligament in his left knee on December 11, 2022.

Though he couldn't attend the team's offseason program with full strength due to injury, Steele didn't miss any sessions.

"It's been a long road," he said last week. "Just taking it day by day, super proud of how I approached it and just how my teammates and my coaches and my family have been there supporting me. Without them, it would've been a lot harder."

"I can remember watching him move in rookie orientation there, the pandemic year, just being impressed with him [from] day one, and we hadn't even put the pads on yet," the Cowboys' head coach Mike McCarthy said. "His work ethic and just the way he goes about it, I mean, he's always been no-nonsense, extremely coachable, very bright, and he's a glue guy. I mean, he's really connected strongly not only in the O-line room but the locker room. Terence is a stud."

The Cowboys have been busy locking in their key players with long-term contracts during the offseason. They signed a five-year, $97-million deal with cornerback Trevon Diggs and a three-year, $24-million extension with safety Malik Hooker. Moreover, the team restructured the deal with right guard Zack Martin, who will have $36 million guaranteed for the next two seasons.

There are more players on the Cowboys' roster for them to negotiate new deals. For example, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is eligible for an extension, so will linebacker Micah Parsons after the 2023 season. More importantly, the team's quarterback Dak Prescott can also negotiate a new deal from the third season of the four-year, $160-million contract he inked in 2021.