Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones does not expect his team to make a major move ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline.
Jones was asked point-blank about Dallas' trade deadline plans during a Tuesday, Nov. 10, interview on 105.3 The Fan. Per usual, the 84-year-old wouldn't categorically rule out a trade, but he cast doubt on whether the Cowboys would swing any deal of significance.
"It's really not ringing, which you've heard me say numerous times," Jones said, referencing a proverbial phone to field trade calls. "That's when you make a trade."
"Don't count it out, a lot of things happen on this last day," he added. "But I don't look for us to make a significant trade today."
Jones' comments come with the Cowboys off to a disappointing 4-5 record start
to the 2026 NFL season. They were expected to be NFC East contenders, but their defense has remained a major problem, ranking 30th in defensive EPA per play this season, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats.
Even so, Jones wasn't willing to blame Dallas' middling first half of the 2026 campaign for influencing the team's trade deadline strategy.
"I don't know. I can't answer that," Jones replied when asked if Dallas' performance to date was impacting their status as potential trade deadline buyers. "I haven't had a chance to really maneuver or think about or discuss back and forth with the team. We haven't had a chance to have a meaningful dialogue over the last two or three weeks about any player that we'd be interested in."
While the Cowboys may be quiet at the trade deadline, they did make an aggressive, in-season move to trade for Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Porter has appeared in four games for Dallas since that trade, recording eight tackles, three pass defenses and allowing a 39.6 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus.
The Cowboys also made another preseason deal with the Steelers to acquire offensive tackle Broderick Jones, who has played just 43 offensive snaps thus far in 2026 while serving as a swing tackle.
Still, Dallas' 2026 trade deadline plans are a far cry from their 2025 activity, when they acquired star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets and veteran linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jerry Jones shares Cowboys plans for NFL trade deadline day
