The Dallas Cowboys, sitting at 2-4, are drawing interest as a possible landing spot for Miami Dolphins All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks ahead of the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper named Dallas a prime destination for the veteran in an Oct. 22 look at players who could move before the cutoff.
Brooks led the NFL with 183 combined tackles in 2025 and earned first-team All-Pro honors. He has also topped the league in solo tackles in both 2021 and 2025.
The Dolphins locked him up with a three-year, $51.3 million extension on July 21. Any team acquiring him would be taking on a multi-year commitment that includes roughly $13 million in guaranteed money for 2027.
Popper noted the Dolphins’ position in his analysis: “The Dolphins are executing their tank effectively. They have remained moderately competitive while still losing five straight games to begin the season. Their rookie class looks promising. The next step would be accruing some more draft capital for 2027. One issue, though, is they do not have many tradable players. Brooks, a reliable veteran off-ball linebacker, is one of the few. He signed a three-year extension in July and has close to $13 million in guaranteed salary in 2027, so any acquiring team would be making a multi-year commitment. The Dolphins would take on $15.6 million in dead money in 2027 if they traded Brooks. This regime, with coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, has not been afraid of dead money thus far.”
Miami is 0-5 and appears open to adding draft assets while absorbing some financial hits.
Dallas has struggled at inside linebacker. DeMarvion Overshown has dealt with injuries, rookie Jaishawn Barham is still developing, and Dee Winters is the most experienced starter after arriving via trade from the 49ers.
Brooks, listed at 6 feet and 240 pounds, was the 27th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. He became a full-time starter in his second season and recorded a career-high 184 tackles that year.
He has missed only two regular-season games since 2021 and none since 2023, giving him a durable track record.
In 2026, Brooks has 43 total tackles (17 solo, 26 assists) through five games for the Dolphins, with one pass defended and no sacks.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport floated a hypothetical deal earlier this year that would send Brooks and a 2028 fifth-round pick to Dallas in exchange for a 2027 second-rounder and a 2028 fourth-rounder.
“(The Cowboys) have been wildly aggressive trying to bolster a defense that was the NFL’s worst last year. There are two new edge-rushers in veteran Rashan Gary and rookie Malachi Lawrence, two new starters at safety and a new linebacker in Dee Winters,” Davenport wrote.
“However, while Winters is a capable pro, he’s not the same caliber of player Brooks is. The Cowboys are perpetually all-in on a Super Bowl run—trading for Brooks would be a nice finish to the team’s defensive makeover.”
Dallas has already made defensive additions this season, including cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from Pittsburgh. Adding Brooks would give the Cowboys a proven tackling presence next to Winters as they try to stabilize a unit that has allowed significant yardage and points.
Whether Miami is willing to move a player it just extended remains uncertain, but the combination of the Dolphins’ record, cap considerations, and Dallas’ clear need has kept the idea alive heading into the final weeks before the deadline.
