The Dallas Cowboys had a prime opportunity to apply substantial pressure on the New York Giants in the less-than-stellar 2026 NFC East title race on Sunday afternoon.

Facing the reeling Arizona Cardinals, expectations were that the five-time Super Bowl champions would cruise to a comfortable victory in front of their home fans. In typical Cowboys fashion, though, the franchise failed to close the deal despite leading most of the contest and suffered an embarrassing 33-30 overtime loss at AT&T Stadium. 

While the Cowboys have their fair share of offensive problems, there’s no question their defense (specifically its inability to rush the passer effectively) is holding them back from reaching their full potential. For that reason, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan believes Dallas should consider pursuing a former Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl defender before the upcoming trade deadline. 

“Alongside ESPN's report noting interest in (Josh) Sweat, there was a note that the Cowboys are among the teams to watch in this race,” Sullivan wrote Sunday. “Jerry Jones has been extremely active over the last calendar year as he tries to improve his defense, most recently striking a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for corner Joey Porter Jr.”

“Now, they could be doubling down and adding a pass rusher like Sweat to help a defense that is still struggling. Entering Week 8, Dallas is tied for the third-most total yards per game allowed (373.7) and the second-most rushing yards per game allowed (145.7).”

“The defense is also last in opponent third-down conversion rate (52.%) and 30th in takeaways (4). When it comes to getting after the quarterback, the Cowboys are tied for the fourth-fewest sacks in the league and are bottom-10 in the NFL in pressures.”

Although Sweat was involved in trade rumors during the offseason, the Florida State product ultimately remained with the Cardinals to begin the new year. Sweat, known for consistently winning one-on-one battles off the line and making it hard for opposing quarterbacks to step into throws, is off to a solid start to his ninth NFL campaign. 

The 29-year-old has recorded 12 solo tackles, nine assisted tackles, and three sacks with Arizona through eight games. Given that the Cowboys haven’t made positive strides in pass rushing thus far, acquiring Sweat could be a game-changing midseason move for the storied NFC East program. 

It’ll be interesting to see whether Dallas shares that sentiment in early November.

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