The Dallas Cowboys don’t have to squint to see the problem on defense. Through four games in 2026, the pass rush simply hasn’t done enough, and the numbers tell the story fast: Dallas has four sacks total, with two of them coming last week. For this group, that counted as a real step forward.
It’s an ugly spot for a team tied for the second-fewest sacks in the NFL. Even more glaring, only 1.5 of those sacks have come from edge rushers. If the Cowboys are going to get this defense pointed in a better direction, help off the edge looks like a must.
That’s why Jadeveon Clowney has surfaced as a possible trade target. In a roundup of deadline candidates, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox named Dallas as a potential landing spot for the veteran pass rusher.
"The Texans could still get back in the playoff mix, but they could be prompted to send Clowney to a contender for a strong return - which they should be able to get," Knox said.
Houston’s 0-4 start puts the Texans in a brutal position. Only one team in NFL history has ever climbed out of an 0-4 hole, the 1992 San Diego Chargers, so the margin for error is basically gone. If the season keeps slipping away, moving Clowney, who is on a one-year deal, would make plenty of sense.
On the football side, the fit is easy to understand. Clowney has 1.5 sacks in two games this season, and he was productive in Dallas last year with 8.5 sacks in 13 games.
Three of those came in a meaningless Week 18 game, but even stripping that out still leaves 5.5 sacks in 12 contests. The Cowboys would take that kind of production in a heartbeat.
The question is whether Dallas sees him as the right match for Christian Parker’s defense. Stephen Jones said last December that the Cowboys "absolutely" wanted Clowney back, but nothing came together in the offseason and he was not re-signed. Then in February, Jones pointed to the need for players who fit Parker’s system.
"We're going to work through Christian [Parker]," Jones said back in February when asked about re-signing Clowney. "A lot of it will happen this coming week in terms of the type of player [we want]. We're going to continue to have those talks, then we'll make final decisions on who we think will be productive in this particular system."
Clowney, for his part, has made it clear he doesn’t buy the idea that he’s boxed into one style of defense.
"Ain't no scheme I can't play in, 3-4 to 4-3, to whatever down scheme that you had. I think I've proved that I can play in them all, and not just play in them, but also dominate in them schemes and do my job at a high level," Clowney said.
Scheme fit will matter if the Cowboys seriously explore the market. But if the edge rush remains this thin and Clowney is the best option available, Dallas may have to take the swing and sort out the fit later.
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