Momentum had been building for the Dallas Cowboys to trade Osa Odighizuwa, and a verdict was reached just hours after the start of the NFL's new league year, as they sent him to the San Francisco 49ers.
You would think that Dallas learned its lesson of trading star defenders to NFC rivals, but then again, we're talking about Jerry Jones. If he can send arguably the most talented pass rusher in franchise history to the Green Bay Packers, he probably didn't think twice about shipping Odighizuwa to San Francisco.
Unlike the Micah Parsons trade, though, Jones got a fair return on Odigihziuwa. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Cowboys acquired a 2026 third-round pick for Odighizuwa.
You can still question if Dallas should have traded one of its best defensive players, but a third-round pick is a very solid return.
Trade: Cowboys are trading DT Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. pic.twitter.com/JtARShw3zu
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2026
The Dallas Cowboys traded Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers for a 2026 third-round pick
The Cowboys surrendered their 2026 third-round pick in the George Pickens trade. They are also without a 2026 second-round pick due to the Quinnen Williams trade. They were without a Day 2 pick before trading Odighizuwa.
Of course, the question is, where does Dallas go from here?
The interior defensive line was the best in the NFL before today. The Cowboys could rotate Williams and Kenny Clark off the field, and it would still be strong. Now, we're talking about free-agent signing Otito Ogbonnia and 2025 seventh-round pick Jay Toia as the top backups.
You might be thinking, what about Solomon Thomas? Mere minutes after Odighizuwa was traded, the Cowboys sent Thomas to the Tennessee Titans for a Day 3 pick swap. While Williams and Clark are a force to be reckoned with, the IDL has taken a massive hit with Wednesday's trades.
The Cowboys wouldn't have traded Odighizuwa if they didn't have something else in the works. Whether they circle back to Maxx Crosby or flip the third-round pick for Jonathan Greenard, it feels like something is coming.
It's easy to argue that Dallas should have just kept the good player rather than traded him to a conference rival. But at face value, Jerry Jones did extremely well to net a third-round pick for Odighizuwa.