Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said multiple times that he does not regret trading superstar edge-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers ahead of the regular season, but the team’s actions continue to betray that narrative.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that Dallas has been on a league-wide hunt for a pass-rusher and named Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals in particular as a valued target.
“The Cowboys — armed with two first-rounders in 2026 and seven picks in total before compensatory selections — also have looked into Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, whom the Bengals don’t plan to deal,” Fowler wrote. “Several other edge rushers will be available league-wide, so expect the Cowboys to get involved in various talks.”
Cincinnati didn’t want to deal Hendrickson ahead of the season when there was a real chance the team could swoop into the playoff picture on the arm of quarterback Joe Burrow. But Burrow is hurt and out for multiple more months with a turf toe injury he suffered in Week 2.
Burrow could return before the end of the season, but at 2-3 and on a three-game losing streak the Bengals threw a Hail Mary by trading with the Cleveland Browns for Joe Flacco. Flacco lost his first start with the team to the Packers, but followed that up with 342 passing yards and three touchdowns in a narrow win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So, at 3-4 and with Flacco’s still-strong arm throwing to wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals remain steadfast in hanging onto Hendrickson. But that makes far less sense if hanging onto their season becomes more precarious over the next two weeks.
Cincinnati hosts the New York Jets (0-7) and the Chicago Bears (4-2) over the next two games, respectively. At 5-4 or 4-5 in an injured AFC North Division that appears relatively weak, Hendrickson isn’t going anywhere.
But he’s on a $29 million deal in 2025 that expires in March, which means unrestricted free agency. Should the Bengals drop both of their next two games and fall to 3-6 heading into the bye week with a road contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the schedule for November 16, the circumstances surrounding the NFL‘s reigning sack champion could change.
And if that happens, Dallas will likely be there with a strong offer, per Fowler’s reporting.
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