Dallas Cowboys return specialist/wideout KaVontae Turpin made a bold claim about himself a day after his viral kickoff return touchdown against the Washington Commanders. Head coach Mike McCarthy's team had a shocking victory at Northwest Stadium on Sunday as backup quarterback Cooper Rush had his best performance of the year.
Turpin's 99-yard touchdown return sealed the upset in a play where the 2022 United States Football League MVP showcased his trademark speed. In a quote to Dallas Cowboys insider Ed Werder, Turpin showed confidence in his biggest strength.
“I have always been the fastest person on this planet. That's how I feel. I feel like I'm the fastest player in the NFL.”
KaVontae Turpin has given the Dallas Cowboys a much-needed spark
To save everyone time from searching it up, KaVontae Turpin ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash on his pro day in 2019. That is a blazing time but by no means the fastest ever in that event. To compare, Xavier Worthy currently holds the record among NFL players in the 40, running 4.21 seconds at the 2024 NFL Combine. Despite that difference, a 40-time is never the best indication of a player's speed. 49ers icon Jerry Rice famously ran a 4.71 time for this event and went on to look way faster than that in pads.
Nevertheless, Turpin made everyone else on the field look like they were in slow motion in this viral play. The touchdown return is the TCU alum's second of the season, the other being on a 60-yard punt return against the Cleveland Browns. Turpin additionally has caught 21 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
Looking ahead, the Cowboys will need Turpin to consistently showcase his speed to stay competitive over the next few weeks. Mike McCarthy is firmly on the hot seat for a team decimated by injuries, and the Cowboys will need to win out to realistically stay in playoff contention. Still, the next four games for Dallas are very winnable. Over the next month, “America's Team” will host the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers.
After those games come two pivotal late-season matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders. It's a tall task to ask Dallas to win out, especially with star quarterback Dak Prescott out for the season. However, the Cowboys came into the Commanders' game as heavy underdogs and won. Maybe this one victory can spark one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent memory. Still, whether Mike McCarthy and company can pull off an early Christmas miracle remains to be seen.
