The Cowboys are still missing a big defensive star on the squad ever since they traded Micah Parsons to the Packers ahead of the 2025 season. Dallas owner Jerry Jones has made that known as he repeatedly wants to find a new player to bolster his defense.
For a minute, there seemed to be a chance that the Cowboys could trade for Raiders star Maxx Crosby. The rumors quickly got shut down as Las Vegas has no intentions of trading their edge rusher. But, the conversation opened up the door again for the Cowboys to search for a new defensive star ahead of the trade deadline.
In a recent interview with The Athletic's Dianna Russini, Jones was asked what one player he would want to add right now.
“I would say, without incriminating any area of it, it would be a defensive player. But not a pass rusher," Jones responded.
It's worth noting that Parsons is one of the best pass rushers in the league right now, as is Crosby. The Cowboys might not be looking necessarily to replace Parsons, but they need someone to pick up the defense's slack.
The Cowboys are struggling defensively. Through seven games, the Cowboys are allowing the most total yards per game (401.6), passing yards per game (260.3), and the third-most rushing yards per game (141.3) in the NFL. Additionally, they're giving up the third-most points per game (29.4), are in the bottom half of the league in takeaways with just six and have sacked opposing quarterbacks just 15 times—a middle-of-the-pack number—while allowing them to post a cumulative110.6 passer rating (second-highest in NFL) and giving them 2.95 seconds to throw per drop-back (also the second-highest).
We'll see who Dallas can nail down.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jerry Jones Makes Surprising Statement on Cowboys' Biggest Need After Maxx Crosby Rumors.