At this point, Dallas Cowboys fans know to temper expectations for the NFL trade deadline. Jerry Jones knows how to play the game, and he said last week that he'd be willing to give up one of the first-round picks acquired in the Micah Parsons trade.
How genuine that was is open for interpretation, but it seems the Cowboys could go big-name hunting so long as the price is right. They've already been linked with Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. It currently seems that Las Vegas has no intention of trading Crosby, but Jones said the same thing about Parsons once upon a time.
If Crosby doesn't work out, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Dallas has done its due diligence on another star pass rusher: Bengals' All-Pro Trey Hendrickson.
Cowboys have reportedly checked in on Bengals star DE Trey Hendrickson
"... My sense is that Dallas would be pretty surprised if the Raiders actually moved on from Crosby, with whom owner Mark Davis has a deep affection. 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. Several other edge rushers will be available leaguewide, so expect the Cowboys to get involved in various talks."
If nothing else, this confirms that the Cowboys want another pass rusher. While they amassed four sacks and 26 pressures against the Commanders, a lot of that was attributed to Matt Eberflus (finally) dialing up more five-man rushes. They rarely generate pressure with a four-man rush.
Enter Hendrickson, one of the NFL's most prolific pass rushers over the last handful of years. Since 2022, Hendrickson's 47 sacks rank second only to Myles Garrett. He is tied for second during that span with nine forced fumbles.
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Just last season, Hendrickson posted the third-most pressures in the league with 84, per Pro Football Focus. He posted the most sacks (18) of any player, tied for third with a 20.3 percent pass-rush win rate, tied for fourth with 16 QB hits, and ranked fourth with a 90.9 pass-rush grade in true pass sets.
Hendrickson isn't the two-way monster that Crosby is, but he's undoubtedly a top-five pass rusher. He agreed to a $14 million raise with the Bengals in August, which increased his 2025 salary to $30 million. However, he's still set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the Cowboys would have to have an extension lined up if they trade for him.
The four-time Pro Bowler will turn 31 in December. He'll still want, and deserve, over $30 million per year on his next contract, but because of his age, he shouldn't ask for more than $35 million. And he won't cost as much in a trade as Crosby. For context, Crosby makes $35 million, and Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt, and Myles Garrett all make north of $40 million per year.
Like Crosby, trading for Hendrickson is another no-brainer for the Cowboys, so long as the Bengals make him available. He would change the entire outlook of the season for Dallas.