FRISCO, Texas -- The 2026 NFC East division is wide open, and Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones knows it. The NFC East went a combined 0-6-2 the last two weeks, making it the first division in NFL history to go winless in consecutive weeks when playing four-plus games. That's why Jones feels his 2-4 Cowboys could still make a run at a division crown.
The first-place New York Giants (3-2-1) are trying out Minnesota Vikings bust J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback, and the Philadelphia Eagles will likely be without Super Bowl MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts for the rest of the 2026 season as he recovers from blood clots. Ahead of the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline, Jones still sees Dallas as a potential buyer, not a seller.
"I'll be real clear, I could see being active at the trade deadline if it was something that could help the team this year," Jones told reporters at the league's owners meetings on Wednesday. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer shares Jones' faith that a turnaround could be just around the corner for Dallas. "Number one, Jerry is never afraid to make moves, and number two, we have a lot of football left," Schottenheimer said on Thursday.
"We're excited about winning a big game in Philadelphia on Monday." Let's take a look at what Dallas has left in its draft pick war chest and then three players the Cowboys could acquire to help Jones' 2026 squad. This is the big fish right here. The Cowboys currently rank 11th-worst in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (34.5%) and fifth-worst in sack rate (4.2%), per TruMedia.
Their pass rush is one of their most urgent remaining needs on defense. Two of the veteran Pro Bowl edge rushers they acquired this offseason, Rashan Gary and Von Miller, look to be past their expiration date when it comes to finishing rushes for sacks. Plus, the Cowboys are still struggling to replace All-Pro Micah Parsons' production after shipping him to the Green Bay Packers just before the kickoff of the 2025 season.
Should Jones be comfortable parting with high-round draft capital, Los Angeles Chargers 24-year-old Pro Bowl edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu makes a lot of sense. The age is at a point where the Cowboys would be trading for prime years of a player's career, and, like Joey Porter Jr., he is a former second-round pick in the final year of his rookie deal, looking to cash in on a large new deal. Tulipulotu's contract situation could make him available in a trade should the 0-6 Chargers decide to hold a fire sale ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 NFL Draft.
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