The Cowboys may have the most stable quarterback situation in the league, which is why the latest trade chatter feels so out of left field. Dak Prescott is entering his 11th season as Dallas’ unquestioned starter, and he’s already the franchise’s all-time leading passer.
That kind of setup usually shuts the door on quarterback speculation. Instead, it somehow opened the door to Anthony Richardson.
Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, has become the odd man out in Indianapolis. He lost the starting job to Daniel Jones in training camp last year, then saw his season unravel in Week 6 when he broke his eye socket in a freak pregame accident. He missed the rest of the year, while Jones took over and played the best football the Colts have seen since 2009 before tearing his Achilles.
Rather than hand the job back to Richardson, the Colts doubled down on Jones with a two-year deal worth up to $100 million. Richardson has started only 15 games in three injury-heavy seasons, and after asking for a trade in February, he still hasn’t found a new home.
That’s where Dallas got dragged into the conversation. Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon named the Cowboys as a possible landing spot if Indianapolis decides to move on.
"Potential landing spots include the Cardinals - especially if Jacoby Brissett's contract dispute boils over - the Jets, once they realize Geno Smith is not the guy, or the Steelers, Cowboys, or Panthers as a premium stash-away option for 2027," Gagnon wrote.
For Dallas, though, the fit makes little sense. The Cowboys already have Sam Howell and Joe Milton III behind Prescott, so they’re not exactly shopping for another quarterback project. Taking on Richardson’s contract and trying to rebuild him would be a strange use of resources for a team that doesn’t need the help.
At this point, the rumor feels more like a fantasy-football thought exercise than anything Jerry Jones is likely to act on. Indianapolis still hasn’t found anyone willing to meet its asking price, Richardson remains on the roster, and he’s spending the summer working out while trying to secure a backup role behind Jones. The odds of him ending up in Dallas are close to zero.
In Other News...
Mavericks Face A Telling Klay Thompson Decision Under New Leadership
Masai Ujiris arrival as president of basketball operations gives the Mavericks a fresh voice at a moment when the roster is straddling two timelines. Dallas has veterans who can help now and younger pieces that need room to grow, and Klay Thompson sits right in the middle of that balancing act as trade chatter continues to follow him.
Thompson is in the final year of his deal, which only sharpens the question of how new leadership wants to handle a proven name on an expiring contract. Marc Stein reported that Dallas is leaning toward exploring trade possibilities first, leaving the broader market to sort out whether a move can be made before any tougher decision comes into view. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks May Have Quietly Found Another Hidden Gem On Draft Night
The Mavericks have been hunting for value wherever they can find it, and draft night may have quietly delivered another one. Dallas picked up draft rights from the Lakers without giving up a player or any meaningful asset, and the early returns have been encouraging enough to keep the front office paying attention. In Summer League, the newcomer has stood out for his physicality, defense and versatility, the kind of traits that can make a second-round swing look a lot smarter in hindsight.
Mavs Summer League coach Joe Boylan has already singled him out as an unsung hero, and that kind of praise matters in a setting where coaches are usually more focused on sorting through the noise than handing out compliments. Dallas does not have an open roster spot right now, but the expectation is that he will still get a training camp invite, giving him a real chance to keep pushing for a future roster or two-way opening. [Read more 🡒]
Marc Stein Just Dropped A Mavs Relevant Twist In The West
The West keeps getting a little more crowded for the Mavericks, even in the margins, and Marc Steins latest notebook offered another reminder of how quickly the market can shift around Dallas rivals. One of the more interesting threads involves Peyton Watson, the Nuggets restricted free agent wing, whose name is now surfacing in sign-and-trade conversations as teams look for ways to pry him loose without waiting for Denver to simply match and keep him.
Milwaukees involvement matters because it adds another aggressive player to a race that already had other suitors circling, and the Bucks have the kind of roster flexibility that can make a deal real if they choose to push it. Denver, for its part, is not expected to move Watson cheaply, which keeps the situation in that familiar offseason holding pattern where interest is easy to find but the price tag still has to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
