With cutdown day creeping closer, the Cowboys and Steelers look like a natural place for trade talks to start heating up. Mike McCarthy is now running the show in Pittsburgh, Dallas still has a good relationship with him, and the two teams already hooked up on a deal for George Pickens a year ago. That kind of connection matters, especially when rosters start getting squeezed and useful players become available.
And Pittsburgh has a few names that could fit what Dallas is looking for. The Cowboys have questions at backup quarterback, running back depth, the interior offensive line, and swing tackle. That’s a pretty handy list for a team trying to find bargains.
Mason Rudolph is the cleanest fit at quarterback. The Steelers are keeping both Aaron Rodgers and Rudolph out of Week 2 of the preseason, while Will Howard and Drew Allar get the snaps.
Rudolph is the clear No. 2 in Pittsburgh, but there’s a real chance the Steelers decide to carry two developmental quarterbacks behind Rodgers instead. He’s not a franchise answer, but he has shown he can handle backup duty.
Over five years in Pittsburgh, plus one season in Tennessee, Rudolph has posted an 86.7 passer rating and averaged 6.7 yards per attempt. That came in offenses that didn’t do him many favors.
For Dallas, he’d be a sturdier option behind Dak Prescott, and the Cowboys could still keep Joe Milton as the No. 3 quarterback. He wouldn’t cost much, and he might benefit from the same change of scenery that helped George Pickens.
Kaleb Johnson is another name worth watching. A year ago, he was one of the more intriguing rookie backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, going 54th on the consensus board before sliding to the third round.
The fit in Pittsburgh never really clicked. Johnson is a downhill runner, but the Steelers rarely played under center last season because of Aaron Rodgers.
His season also got off to a bad start when he misplayed a kick return that led to a Seahawks touchdown, and that mistake kept him in Mike Tomlin’s doghouse. He never found traction as a rookie, and the new staff hasn’t exactly rushed to feature him either. He didn’t play until the fourth quarter of the first preseason game, and beat writers do not expect him to make the 53-man roster.
Dallas is still looking for a No. 2 back behind Javonte Williams, which makes Johnson interesting. He still needs work as a receiver, but he would immediately be the second-best runner on the roster. For a late-round pick swap, that’s the kind of swing worth exploring.
The Cowboys also have a very obvious issue at center depth, which brings Brock Hoffman back into the conversation. Dallas moved on from him this offseason, but then Matt Hennessey went down for the season with a neck injury. Hennessey had been lined up as the backup center, and now the Cowboys don’t have one on the roster.
That leaves a thin interior group, and Hoffman would help. Pittsburgh has added more bodies to its offensive line, including Gennings Dunker in Round 3, and Hoffman is battling for a roster spot there. Dallas may have cooled on him as a player, but he’d still be a clear upgrade over Trevor Keegan and Nick Leverett.
Then there’s Broderick Jones, who might be the most notable name on the list. The Cowboys’ tackle situation has been messy all week.
Nate Thomas has moved from left tackle to right tackle, Drew Shelton has flipped sides too, and Terence Steele has drawn criticism for his inconsistency. Dallas looks like a team that will be shopping for a veteran tackle before long.
Jones is sliding down the Pittsburgh depth chart. The Steelers have Troy Fautanu and Max Iheanachor among their first-round picks at tackle, and Dylan Cook also played well last season.
Jones is now the fourth tackle on the roster and is in the final year of his contract. He missed most of the 2025 season with a neck injury, but he has been cleared and played in Week 1 of the preseason.
His PFF grades have been slightly below average, but he would still be a major upgrade over Nate Thomas and Drew Shelton. He’s logged more than 1,000 snaps at both left and right tackle in his career, which makes him a logical swing tackle option. If Dallas wants to stabilize that spot, Jones could be available for no more than a late Day 3 pick.
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