Getty

Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, watching on during the loss to the Denver Broncos on October 16, 2025.

The Dallas Cowboys‘ outing against the Denver Broncos on Sunday certainly did not go as well as the team would have hoped, as they returned to Texas having had the Bo Nix-led offense put 44 points on the their 31st ranked total defense.

Ironically, despite having had Sean Payton’s men hang almost a half-century on them, the Cowboys’ defense went from 32nd to 31st after week 8, after the Cincinnati Bengals‘ shootout against the New York Jets, which ended with New York getting their first victory of the season in the Midwest.

Post-game, owner and general manager, Jerry Jones, was asked by a member of the media if the Cowboys’ loss on Sunday impacted the way the franchise could approach the trade deadline.

However, the 83-year old was bullish that the organization’s strategy over the next week would not be impacted by the result in week 8.

Jerry Jones Will Not Change Trade Deadline Strategy After Loss

“A loss is discouraging,” Jones said after the game, “but as far as my temperament – if I saw a proposition for us to help this team, no matter what this score was today, then I would look at it on the merits of helping this team.

And if you’re talking about trading for a player or trading a player, I’d completely look at it on the merits on the team, both for next week or the weeks after or for the longer term. So I’d have to answer your question “no”, today would not affect a decision on trading for a player.”

Jones was adamant that the team would remain on the lookout a deal based on the “merits of helping this team”, rather than the situation they find themselves in after eight games.

Now with a record of 3-4-1, the Cowboys lie 1.5 games behind the San Francisco 49ers, who would currently occupy the 7th playoff spot if the postseason started today – so they are far from out of the loop by any means.

Cowboys Already Looking For ‘High-Impact’ Players At The Deadline

Even prior to this game, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Saturday, Dallas had already been looking for “high impact” and quality players at the trade deadline, particularly at edge rusher.

“The Cowboys are looking for – I’m told – an impact defensive player.” Fowler reported on Saturday, explaining that the team could use some of the trade capital they acquired from the Micah Parsons trade, which sent the All-Pro the Green Bay Packers for two first rounders over the next two drafts.

“They’re looking around – you see Trey Hendrickson there. The Cowboys have really called around to several teams – pretty much most of the league to try to survey the market and see who could be available in the front seven.”

Maxx Crosby – as Fowler also reported – was a target Dallas inquired about, but the Raiders seem intent on keeping him in Las Vegas after signing him to a three year, $106.5 million extension this past offseason.

Hendrickson makes about the most sense, given his tense relationship with the Bengals brass and his continuing status as an elite edge rusher in the NFL. But it would not be wholly shocking to see the Cowboys give up major draft capital for another top defender up front over the next few days.

Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas