The Dallas Cowboys have made their first deal of 2023 NFL free agency, and it brings back leading tackler and 2022 breakout artist Donovan Wilson on a three-year deal worth a maximum of $24 million, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo tweeted Tuesday morning.

Garafolo reported that the first two years of Wilson's new deal are guaranteed at $13.5 million. Wilson's new deal with the Cowboys keeps Wilson, Jayron Kearse, and Malik Hooker together as the Cowboys' self-titled “three-headed monster” of safeties. Hooker voiced his excitement about Wilson's re-signing after news of the deal officially broke:

Wilson's career year in 2022 earned him his payday after the Texas A&M product made all 17 starts and led the Cowboys in tackles. Wilson proved to be instrumental to Dan Quinn's pass-rushing operation last year as well. Wilson's five sacks were most in the entire NFL among defensive backs while also generating 14 total pressures on the season, the seventh-highest mark on the team.

Not counting Tony Pollard's franchise tag deal, Wilson is now the first Cowboys free agent to agree to terms to come back in 2023. Wilson might have been the most productive of any of them after he played over 1,000 snaps for the Cowboys a season ago, but Dallas still has plenty of decisions to make. Not the least of those decisions involves linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.

Now after committing even more cap space to the defense to retain Donovan Wilson, the Cowboys' decision to pay to keep Vander Esch around for another season now becomes even more complicated.