Hingle McCringleberry was indeed aghast − and will apparently respond in kind.

After Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle was hit with a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct following his second touchdown at Lambeau Field in Sunday’s 16-13 win over the Green Bay Packers, the man who brought the two-pump rule before the NFL’s competition committee − OK, not really − weighed in.

Actor and comedian Keegan-Michael Key, who portrayed McCringleberry, a fictional wide receiver in a famous ‘Key & Peele’ skit that mocked over-legislated football celebrations, posted the following on Instagram on Sunday evening:

‘Rico! Man, you got robbed − you only did two pumps,’ said a flabbergasted Key, tongue firmly placed in cheek.

‘I’m sorry, man. Now I’m gonna have to write a new sketch.’

Dowdle, surrounded by offensive teammates in the end zone, intentionally offered two thrusts after his score … but no more. Officials flagged him anyway, Dowdle leaving the field perplexed while holding up two fingers.

In the skit that launched him into the zeitgeist, McCringleberry, a rookie member of the ‘Rhinos,’ was repeatedly flagged for celebrating his touchdowns with three pumps − knowing he’d be free and clear by stopping at two.

‘From my understanding and everything I’ve learned, we go over stuff like this every week in the meeting room. I definitely think you’re supposed to get two pumps,’ Dowdle said following the game.

‘Hopefully, I don’t get a fine.’

(In case it wasn’t obvious, the NFL has no official rule spelling out how many pumps are or are not permissible.)

Dowdle’s infraction comes at a time when the league has been emphasizing good sportsmanship. Following the penalty, Carolina kicker Ryan Fitzgerald missed the lengthier extra-point try − a misfire that enabled the Packers to subsequently tie the game 13-13.

However Dowdle, who ran for 130 yards on the day, rumbled for 19 yards on Carolina’s final drive, setting up Fitzgerald for a game-winning 49-yard field goal at the gun.

‘I missed it. I am not going to touch on that,’ Panthers quarterback Bryce Young said.

‘We won, so I am grateful for that.’

Why should NFL general managers have all the fun?

While the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, fantasy football managers have a bit more freedom to work toward making some big deals of their own since most fantasy leagues don’t have their trade deadlines for another couple weeks.

So if your team is looking to make a move to bolster a deep playoff run, it’s time to take a look at which players could help you get there — and which players may be worth sending somewhere else.

WEEK 10 BYES: Cincinnati, Dallas, Kansas City, Tennessee

Here are some of this week’s best trade candidates:

Fantasy football players to buy for Week 10

QB Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

This doesn’t feel logical, but just hear me out. Dart generally isn’t among the top 15 QBs in the weekly rankings. Yet he’s managed to finish as the QB5 (pending Monday’s game), QB13, QB2 and QB3 over the past four weeks. He has a rushing TD in each of those games and has turned the ball over a total of one time during that span. This week, Dart faces a Bears defense that just gave up 470 passing yards and four TDs to Joe Flacco.

WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

You’re likely buying high on Higgins after his fabulous 121-yard, two-touchdown effort against Chicago. But the Bengals are on bye this week, and another fantasy team that’s struggling to stay in playoff contention just may be willing to mortgage part of the future to get an immediate starter who’s just a bit of a downgrade. The Bengals have one of the best schedules for wideouts down the stretch (Steelers, Patriots, Bills, Ravens twice), so even if you’re unlikely to land Ja’Marr Chase, at least make an offer for Higgins.

RB Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns

Judkins played only 18 snaps in Week 8 before exiting with a shoulder injury. We don’t really have an update since the Browns were on bye in Week 9, but coach Kevin Stefanski did say last week that Judkins’ status was ‘day-to-day.’ That’s still a good sign if he’ll have nearly two weeks to recover by the time they play the Jets. Judkins has been a workhorse back ever since taking over the starting role and with the weather turning colder along Lake Erie, the Browns will figure to lean on him even more.

RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Irving has already missed four games with a foot injury and we won’t know his status for this week until the Bucs hit the practice field on Tuesday. However, he did have the benefit of a Week 9 bye, so he won’t have to worry about an off week once he returns. Tampa Bay has made do with Rachaad White and Sean Tucker in the backfield, but Irving has so much more upside. If Irving is close to 100% by the fantasy playoffs, he could be the missing piece to put your team over the top.

TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

After all Warren has accomplished in his rookie season, good luck getting his fantasy manager to part with him. But if you can get a foot in the door after his season-low 26 receiving yards in Week 9, you can highlight this week’s matchup against a Falcons defense that’s been the NFL’s stingiest against tight ends … followed by a bye in Week 11. Take the short-term hit now and reap the benefits later with matchups against Jacksonville in Weeks 14 and 17 and Seattle in Week 15.

Fantasy football players to sell for Week 10

TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

Ferguson could be a prime sell-high candidate, especially if he has a good game against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. He leads all tight ends in receptions and PPR fantasy points on the season, even before he steps on the field Monday night. But he reached those heights largely while star WR CeeDee Lamb was out for four weeks with an ankle injury. (With Lamb back as the top target, Ferguson didn’t have a catch last week vs. Denver.) He has also feasted on defenses that have trouble covering the tight end. After tonight, that won’t be the case again until Week 14 with a bye week followed by games against the Raiders (look it up!), Eagles and Chiefs.

RB Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears

Starting in place of veteran D’Andre Swift, Monangai ran wild for 198 total yards to slot in as the RB3 for the week. He’s obviously earned more playing time when Swift returns, but coach Ben Johnson remains loyal to his former/current player. Let someone else be mesermized by the rookie’s performance against the Bengals ‘defense.’ He scored double-digit fantasy points only once while sharing time with Swift. Maybe you hold Monangai for this week’s game against the Giants, but Chicago has a brutal schedule in the fantasy playoffs.

RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Williams totaled a season highs in carries (25) and rushing yards (114) while plowing for a touchdown against the Saints. But not every game script is going to fall so perfectly in place for Williams. Rams QB Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 21 TD passes and he’s going to stick with what’s been working so well. Kyren has seen his rushing touchdown totals regress from 14 last season to just three so far. And backup Blake Corum is seeing consistent work in relief.

WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans

WR Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions

The up-and-down season for Williams just hit another peak thanks to a 37-yard, highlight-reel touchdown catch. But don’t mistake his four catches for 66 yards as an indication that the squeaky wheel from Week 7’s goose egg is getting greased. The Lions already have WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and TE Sam LaPorta as their top targets in the passing game — and they need to get RB Jahmyr Gibbs back on track much more than they need to keep feeding Jamo. Not even a matchup with Washington this week can make him a must-start.

Why should NFL general managers have all the fun?

While the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, fantasy football managers have a bit more freedom to work toward making some big deals of their own since most fantasy leagues don’t have their trade deadlines for another couple weeks.

So if your team is looking to make a move to bolster a deep playoff run, it’s time to take a look at which players could help you get there — and which players may be worth sending somewhere else.

WEEK 10 BYES: Cincinnati, Dallas, Kansas City, Tennessee

Here are some of this week’s best trade candidates:

Fantasy football players to buy for Week 10

QB Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

This doesn’t feel logical, but just hear me out. Dart generally isn’t among the top 15 QBs in the weekly rankings. Yet he’s managed to finish as the QB5 (pending Monday’s game), QB13, QB2 and QB3 over the past four weeks. He has a rushing TD in each of those games and has turned the ball over a total of one time during that span. This week, Dart faces a Bears defense that just gave up 470 passing yards and four TDs to Joe Flacco.

WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

You’re likely buying high on Higgins after his fabulous 121-yard, two-touchdown effort against Chicago. But the Bengals are on bye this week, and another fantasy team that’s struggling to stay in playoff contention just may be willing to mortgage part of the future to get an immediate starter who’s just a bit of a downgrade. The Bengals have one of the best schedules for wideouts down the stretch (Steelers, Patriots, Bills, Ravens twice), so even if you’re unlikely to land Ja’Marr Chase, at least make an offer for Higgins.

RB Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns

Judkins played only 18 snaps in Week 8 before exiting with a shoulder injury. We don’t really have an update since the Browns were on bye in Week 9, but coach Kevin Stefanski did say last week that Judkins’ status was ‘day-to-day.’ That’s still a good sign if he’ll have nearly two weeks to recover by the time they play the Jets. Judkins has been a workhorse back ever since taking over the starting role and with the weather turning colder along Lake Erie, the Browns will figure to lean on him even more.

TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

After all Warren has accomplished in his rookie season, good luck getting his fantasy manager to part with him. But if you can get a foot in the door after his season-low 26 receiving yards in Week 9, you can highlight this week’s matchup against a Falcons defense that’s been the NFL’s stingiest against tight ends … followed by a bye in Week 11. Take the short-term hit now and reap the benefits later with matchups against Jacksonville in Weeks 14 and 17 and Seattle in Week 15.

Fantasy football players to sell for Week 10

TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

Ferguson could be a prime sell-high candidate, especially if he has a good game against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. He leads all tight ends in receptions and PPR fantasy points on the season, even before he steps on the field Monday night. But he reached those heights largely while star WR CeeDee Lamb was out for four weeks with an ankle injury. (With Lamb back as the top target, Ferguson didn’t have a catch last week vs. Denver.) He has also feasted on defenses that have trouble covering the tight end. After tonight, that won’t be the case again until Week 14 with a bye week followed by games against the Raiders (look it up!), Eagles and Chiefs.

RB Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears

Starting in place of veteran D’Andre Swift, Monangai ran wild for 198 total yards to slot in as the RB3 for the week. He’s obviously earned more playing time when Swift returns, but coach Ben Johnson remains loyal to his former/current player. Let someone else be mesermized by the rookie’s performance against the Bengals ‘defense.’ He scored double-digit fantasy points only once while sharing time with Swift. Maybe you hold Monangai for this week’s game against the Giants, but Chicago has a brutal schedule in the fantasy playoffs.

RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Williams totaled a season highs in carries (25) and rushing yards (114) while plowing for a touchdown against the Saints. But not every game script is going to fall so perfectly in place for Williams. Rams QB Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 21 TD passes and he’s going to stick with what’s been working so well. Kyren has seen his rushing touchdown totals regress from 14 last season to just three so far. And backup Blake Corum is seeing consistent work in relief.

WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Texans QB C.J. Stroud left Sunday’s game with concussion symptoms, turning the offense over to backup Davis Mills. While Collins was still the main option, he turned a season-high 11 targets into seven receptions for 75 yards as Houston failed to get into the end zone with Mills running the show. Collins has gone through concussion protocol himself this season and didn’t play in Week 8 because of it. If you can get market value for a top-10 caliber wide receiver, do it.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors and the College Sports Commission have codified a series of name, image and likeness bylaws resulting from this summer’s House settlement, including new standards for prospective high school and junior college student-athletes.

According to guidelines issued by the CSC, which was established in the wake of the House settlement as a clearinghouse for all NIL deals, high school and junior college prospects will need to disclose all NIL deals worth $600 or more upon enrollment.

All high school prospects will be required to report all third-part NIL agreements over $600 that “were executed, agreed upon, or that include payments” beginning on July 1, 2025, or a prospect’s first day of junior year. Likewise with JUCO prospects, who will have to report NIL deals over that total as of July 1 or the “initial enrollment at a two-year college, whichever occurs later.”

In each case, prospective student-athletes will have two weeks from initial enrollment to report all deals into a clearinghouse, called NIL Go, developed by the CSC. That timeline differs slightly from the rules established for current Division I student-athletes, who must submit documentation of new NIL deals totaling over $600 within five business days or face ineligibility.

The codified bylaws set forth the standard by which all possible NIL deals will be evaluated, confirming that all agreements must be for “a valid business purpose and do not exceed a reasonable range of compensation.”

According to the CSC, the reasonable range for NIL payments are “at rates and terms commensurate with compensation paid to similarly situated individuals.” The bylaws state that “pay-for-play” deals do not meet the standard of a valid business purpose.

The bylaws also set the amount of revenue sharing institutions can provide to student-athletes at $20.5 million for the 2025-26 academic year, a total equal to “22% of the average total revenue in certain categories as set forth in the House settlement,” according to the CSC.

The CSC was established after the House settlement as an independent body tasked with enforcing compliance with new NIL regulations. The CSC is the designated enforcement group responsible for the investigation of alleged violations and assessment of penalties.

Week 9 in the NFL proved that the action is only picking up as the campaign reaches midseason and the trade deadline approaches.

One week after a historically lopsided slate, Sunday proved exponentially more scintillating thanks to upsets, close calls, injuries and plenty of other notable developments. And the shifting isn’t likely to stop there, as Tuesday’s trade deadline could prompt more movement in the next 36 hours or so, even if the swaps are of the more minor variety seen in the last month or so.

Here are the biggest winners and losers from Week 9 in the NFL:

NFL Week 9 winners

Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense

The league’s highest-paid defense has been sharply criticized this season for being static and ineffective, particularly in consecutive losses in the last two weeks. Sunday, however, marked a clear breakthrough. In a 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh nabbed six takeaways from an offense that only had four turnovers in its previous eight games. Good fortune surely played into that sharp contrast, but so too did strong execution. Running back Jonathan Taylor was held to a season-low 45 yards on 14 carries by a unit that made his erasure its top priority. From there, the Colts struggled to replicate their previous magic, as edge rushers Alex Highsmith (two sacks) and T.J. Watt (one sack) feasted against an Indianapolis front that was out of sorts in obvious passing downs. Pittsburgh still has to prove it can exist somewhere closer to this performance extreme rather than the other it in which it resided recently, but conjuring an answer for the league’s most efficient attack made quite the statement.

Colston Loveland

When the Chicago Bears tight end hauled in his first career touchdown to give his team a third-quarter lead against the Cincinnati Bengals, it seemed like a nice contribution from a player who otherwise had largely been an afterthought in his rookie campaign. On this day, though, he would be nothing short of essential to the Bears, especially with starter Cole Kmet sidelined by a second-quarter concussion. With Chicago staring down a crushing collapse after giving up 15 points in the final two minutes, Loveland hauled in a Caleb Williams dart down the seam, bounced off one would-be tackler and spun past another before racing for a go-ahead, 58-yard score. It was enough to give Loveland more receiving yards on the day (118) than he had all year before Sunday (116). More importantly, he put Chicago right in the thick of a condensed NFC North race on a day when the organization seemed to be teetering on the verge of disaster. It might be another year before the No. 10 overall pick becomes a staple of the offense, but after this performance, it will be hard for coach Ben Johnson to overlook what dimensions the field-stretching threat adds to the aerial attack.

Rico Dowdle

For most running backs, tallying a franchise-record 473 yards from scrimmage over a two-game span would lead to a featured role for the rest of the season. For Dowdle, it yielded a split with typical starter Chuba Hubbard. Dave Canales acknowledged last week, however, that the rugged ball carrier gave the offense something a little extra, and Dowdle did just that in powering a 16-13 win over the Green Bay Packers. Not only did he notch his first game with two rushing touchdowns, his 130 yards on 25 carries kept Carolina chugging on a windy day during which Bryce Young passed for just 102 yards. The only party capable of pushing back on him was the officiating crew, who flagged Dowdle for his, uh, evocative touchdown celebration. At 5-3, the Panthers are in the mix to end a seven-year playoff drought. That’s thanks in no small part to Dowdle, who seems due for a much bigger payday this offseason than the one he received in March with a $2.75 million deal.

Brian Flores

The Minnesota Vikings’ performance behind center has sparked the most headlines, but there’s been slippage across the board – including from Flores’ vaunted defense. Sunday’s 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions served as a needed return to form on several fronts. A maligned defensive front bottled up Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, allowing the dynamic backfield duo to post just 65 yards on 20 carries. Detangling the Lions’ intricate offense allowed the Vikings to tee off on Jared Goff, who took five sacks as the offense converted just five of 17 third-down attempts. That helped enable Minnesota to play its own brand of complementary football, with a solid ground game (142 yards on 29 carries) aiding J.J. McCarthy in the quarterback’s return from an ankle injury. It’s going to be difficult for this group to reach a level anywhere close to the lofty highs it discovered last season, but this was an encouraging showing against a team that long had Flores and the Vikings’ number during the Ben Johnson years.

Buffalo Bills’ playoff-seeding outlook

There’s still that little matter of holding onto the AFC East crown for a sixth consecutive season, which might not prove so easy given the New England Patriots’ one-game lead and highly favorable schedule down the stretch. But Buffalo’s 28-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs held importance beyond the symbolic value of vanquishing the foe that has repeatedly blocked the franchise’s Super Bowl path. Of course, the Bills have been here before, having now won the last five regular-season matchups with no postseason breakthrough to follow. But Sean McDermott’s crew now possesses a two-game advantage on Kansas City in the loss column, along with the all-important head-to-head tiebreaker. If the defense can thwart surging passing attacks the way it halted Patrick Mahomes (who was pressured on 52.6% of his dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats) and Co., then maybe Buffalo is the AFC team to be feared rather than Kansas City.

Cam Little

The second-year kicker already set himself apart from many of his peers by booting a 70-yard field goal in preseason. Now, however, he officially stands above everyone else in NFL history with a record-setting 68-yard field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders. Little hasn’t been the picture of reliability, with three misses – two field-goal attempts and a point-after try – in the last two games. With range like this, though, he’s a legitimate asset for an offense that still hasn’t fully found its stride. Yet with the Dallas Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey already having drilled two kicks of at least 64 yards in regular-season games, it might not be long before Little faces a legitimate challenge for his new mark.

Matthew Stafford

Good weekend to be a Southern California sports fan. One day after his old pal Clayton Kershaw secured another World Series title, Stafford made quick work of the New Orleans Saints’ undermanned secondary with four touchdown throws – all coming against the blitz – in the Los Angeles Rams’ 34-10 romp. Two of his scoring strikes went to Davante Adams, while Puka Nacua caught another. The quarterback also averted disaster with Nacua’s rib injury, with coach Sean McVay saying after the game that the receiver could have returned if he had been needed. The MVP race is a flavor-of-the-week matter right now with no clear front-runner, but Stafford is keeping himself at the forefront of the conversation.

NFL Week 9 losers

Washington Commanders

Pinpointing blame for player injuries is typically a fruitless endeavor in a sport that can swing multiple parties’ fortunes in an instant. In the case of the Commanders and Jayden Daniels’ gruesome elbow injury in Sunday night’s 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, however, it’s fair game to question coach Dan Quinn’s culpability. Daniels was hurt on a second-down scramble with his team trailing 38-7 with less than eight minutes remaining. Even by the rosiest outlooks, that comeback isn’t materializing. Worse yet, Quinn said after the game that Washington’s performance was ‘unacceptable’ and that the team ‘missed the opportunity by a mile.’ Why, then, leave it all on the shoulders of Daniels to try to claw all the way back? The quarterback already has an acknowledged issue with protecting himself that dates back to his Heisman Trophy-winning year at LSU, during which he would routinely subject himself to massive hits when taking off as a runner. It’s difficult for an organization that has embraced an all-in mentality to pull back, especially when the season has gone as haywire as this 3-6 campaign has for the Commanders. But now the near future looks murky for Daniels, who reports indicated had suffered a dislocated elbow, and Quinn will have to answer for an unwillingness to cut his losses.

Packers

The bottom line was bad enough, with Green Bay being dealt another stunning defeat as well as the loss of breakout star Tucker Kraft, who the team fears suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, per multiple reports. But the manner in which the Packers arrived at their last-second defeat compounded the agony. Once again, a team that couldn’t hang with the NFL’s elite last season can’t seem to handle its most straightforward matchups this year. From Jordan Love’s several questionable throws on Sunday – one of which resulted in an interception – to kicker Brandon McManus missing another field goal, the Packers have plenty of baked-in volatility. But Matt LaFleur is ultimately responsible for a unit that too often amounts to less than the sum of its parts, with the coach bemoaning a 1-of-5 red-zone performance Sunday. On a day when the Lions also faltered, Green Bay should have seized the opportunity to build some separation in the NFC North. Instead, the outing helped reinforce that the division is fully up for grabs in the final two months.

Bengals’ defense

For a minute, it appeared as though Joe Flacco’s career performance and Cincinnati’s offensive resilience might be enough to cover for another dreadful day from the team’s defense. But it took just that same minute – less, even – for the Bengals to squander a stunning rally that briefly looked capable of saving the franchise’s season. Yes, the tackling and coverage on Loveland’s game-winning touchdown were nothing short of shameful. But pinning the outcome on that one play would be reducing the group’s problems to a single misstep, and that in no way captures the full extent of the futility here. The Bears trampled the Bengals for 283 yards, the bulk of it coming from hard-charging Kyle Monangai in the seventh-round rookie’s first start. When Chicago wasn’t simply pushing Cincinnati aside, however, it was literally playing ‘hot potato,’ which was the name of the trick play on which Caleb Williams scored a receiving touchdown. And the defense’s known vulnerability over the middle continued to be exploited, as opposing tight ends now have 12 touchdowns against the unit this season. One week after begging for a leader to emerge, coach Zac Taylor said he felt ‘sick to lose like that.’ In reality, though, his team has been floundering in this fashion for quite a while. It just hasn’t seemed this dramatic until now.

Los Angeles Chargers’ protection plan

Any confidence the Bolts had in their ability to safeguard Justin Herbert was short-lived. In his second game back from a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him for three weeks, left tackle Joe Alt was carted off in the second quarter of the Chargers’ 27-20 win over the Tennessee Titans. With Alt out – and starting right tackle Bobby Hart also leaving due to a groin injury – Herbert took a season-high six sacks while also throwing a pick-six in the face of a blitz. Even with star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons inactive on the day, the Titans’ pedestrian collection of pass rushers applied consistent heat, with Dre’Mont Jones and Jihad Ward each notching four hits. If Alt misses another significant stretch of time, the Chargers will be hard-pressed to stave off the likes of the Steelers, Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles, all of whom are ahead in the team’s next four contests.

Parker Romo

Gillette Stadium just isn’t the kicker’s scene. Two-plus months after Romo lost a competition to rookie Andy Borregales for the New England Patriots’ job, Romo missed an extra point that proved decisive in the Atlanta Falcons’ 24-23 loss. Romo enjoyed a nice debut in stepping in for Younghoe Koo, converting all five field-goal attempts in a Week 2 win over the Vikings. But he’s missed three field goals since then, and it’s difficult for a team with this little margin for error to operate like this.

San Francisco 49ers’ injury luck

Weathering personnel losses has become a way of life for San Francisco for a year-plus, but the 49ers’ injury hits have reached a level of absurdity. The latest blow: First-round rookie defensive end Mykel Williams is feared to have torn his anterior cruciate ligament in Sunday’s 34-24 win over the New York Giants. For a unit that’s already without its superstars in defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, a breaking point feels imminent despite the impressive work of coordinator Robert Saleh. Keion White’s addition last week should add a bit of depth and upside along the defensive front, but San Francisco can’t be reasonably expected to forge ahead in the playoff chase unless it brings aboard another piece before the trade deadline. 

The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Arizona Cardinals on ‘Monday Night Football’ to close NFL Week 9. Less than 24 hours after that game ends, the 2025 NFL trade deadline will come to pass.

That will give Jerry Jones and the Dallas brain trust little time to make a definitive decision about which direction to take the Cowboys at the midpoint of the league’s season.

The Cowboys have sported one of the league’s best offenses during the first half of the 2025 NFL season, but their defense has ranked second-worst in defensive EPA per play. As a result, they are 3-4-1 across their first eight games, keeping them well behind in the NFC East race and on the outside looking in for the NFC wild-card race.

That said, if Dallas can bolster its defense, it may have a shot to climb the ladder and get into the NFC playoff picture. That could be enough to convince Jones, 83, to try to find some upgrades on the trade market, even if the Cowboys will merely be floating around .500 at best by the time the deadline arrives.

Who could the Cowboys target if they do become buyers? Here’s a look at the top defensive options Dallas could pursue.

EDGE Bradley Chubb, Miami Dolphins

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Cowboys ‘are in the market for a pass rusher’ ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. That’s not a major surprise, considering the team doesn’t have a true, No. 1 pass rusher after trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers on eve of the 2025 NFL season.

The Dolphins figure to be one of the deadline’s major sellers after parting with general manager Chris Grier following a Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ They already offloaded Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles for a third-round pick and would probably relish finding an opportunity to trade Chubb, who is under contract through 2027 and has a $19.45 million base salary for next season.

The Cowboys may view that as a reasonable price for Chubb, especially since the 29-year-old’s 25 pressures this season are seven more than any player currently on Dallas’ roster.

EDGE Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals

If Chubb represents a realistic option for the Cowboys, Hendrickson may be the pie-in-the-sky one. USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon reports the Bengals are ‘unlikely’ to deal the star edge rusher despite him playing on an expiring contract.

But could the 3-6 Bengals be swayed to offload Hendrickson, who requested a trade during the offseason? If so, the Cowboys would be a sensible landing spot for the 30-year-old, who produced 17.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons and has generated 23 pressures and four sacks across seven games this year.

EDGE Jermaine Johnson, New York Jets

Johnson generated 7.5 sacks and made a Pro Bowl in 2023. Since then, he has played in seven games due to injury and has generated just one sack.

Johnson is still just 26 and is under contract for a reasonable $13.4 million in 2026. The Florida State product has athletic upside, and perhaps a change of scenery could allow him to regain the solid form of his breakout, second season.

The issue with trading for Johnson? He wouldn’t come cheap. The Athletic reports the Jets are asking for ‘a second-round pick or better’ to part with the fourth-year edge rusher.

Still, Dallas could consider targeting him as a long-term replacement for Parsons at a fraction of the cost.

EDGE Arden Key, Tennessee Titans

If Dallas just wants to add depth to its edge rush rotation, it could consider targeting Key. The 29-year-old has racked up at least 4.5 sacks in four consecutive seasons and has 1.5 sacks in a rotational role across five games with the Titans this season.

Key is playing on an expiring contract and would be a cheap addition for the Cowboys. The only question is whether he would move the needle enough to justify pursuing him.

LB Logan Wilson, Cincinnati Bengals

Wilson has requested a trade away from the Bengals and hopes to be dealt away from Cincinnati, per USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. Could he find a new home in Dallas?

The Cowboys could use an upgrade at linebacker, as Kenneth Murray Jr. – their primary starter at the position – ranks 80th among 83 qualified players at the position this season, per Pro Football Focus. Wilson may not be as good in coverage as he once was, but the 29-year-old team captain remains a quality downhill linebacker who has posted 100-plus tackles in four consecutive seasons.

LB Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints

Davis would be a bigger upgrade for the Cowboys at linebacker, as he remains one of the league’s best run-stopping linebackers. He is graded as PFF’s third-best run defender at linebacker and has generated 84 tackles thus far in 2025, good for fourth-most in the league.

While Davis would be a major upgrade for Dallas, it would be of the short-term variety. He is set to turn 37 in January and is playing on an expiring contract.

CB Riq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks

Woolen has allowed a career-worst 98.9 passer rating when targeted and grades as PFF’s 96th cornerback out of 103 qualifiers. He may need a change of scenery, and the Seahawks could be willing to provide that if they are content to roll with the trio of Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe as their top cornerbacks with rookie Nick Emmanwori in the slot.

Dallas could then use Woolen in place of the injured Trevon Diggs and hope the 6-4, 210-pound cornerback can become a matchup nightmare again in Matt Eberflus’ defense.