The Dallas Cowboys enter the bye week 10 with a heavy heart. They have lost 5 games out of 9 already. For the owner, Jerry Jones, there is another worrying factor. The trade deadline is less than 24 hours away now. They also need players, and the rumor is that they are willing to part ways with their defensive tackle, Mazi Smith.

However, Jones did clarify his player’s future, which will make the team happy. “I like our nuts and bolts a lot,” he said, signaling that they will not trade him away.

That’s a big blow to the NFL rumor mill. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys are open to trading the former first-round pick, who has struggled to find his role this season. Smith has played in only five games and hasn’t shown much progress since being drafted in 2023. He’s also been inactive for three games this year.

The Cowboys are also searching for a new pass rusher after trading away Micah Parsons. Names like Arden Key, Bradley Chubb, and Malcolm Koonce have been linked as possible targets. Miami’s Jaelan Phillips was also mentioned, but he was traded to the Eagles earlier on Monday.

Dallas might try to package Mazi Smith in a deal to get a pass rusher. It’s not clear what kind of market Smith has, but at just 24 years old, some teams might still see potential in him. His rookie deal runs through 2026, though it’s likely that any new team would decline his fifth-year option next spring.

The Cowboys already added veteran DT Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons trade, and they locked up Osa Odighizuwa on a four-year, $80 million extension. With those two in place, it’s clear Smith has slipped down the depth chart.

Still, it looks like Jones wants to keep him around as depth in case the team needs him later in the season.

Of course, no Cowboys week is complete without a little Jerry Jones misdirection.

Jerry Jones walks back on his own words

Jerry Jones confused the fans again this week. Earlier on Monday, November 4, he told Stephen A. Smith that the Cowboys had already made a trade and might make more before the deadline. He refused to give names and said fans would find out when the papers were filed.

No trade was announced before the Cowboys faced the Cardinals on Week 9 Monday Night Football. That silence led to doubt across the league.

Cowboys legend Troy Aikman questioned Jones’s claim on ESPN, saying he wasn’t sure what deal Jones was talking about. Aikman added that one defensive player wouldn’t suddenly turn Dallas into a contender. After the Cowboys’ 27–17 loss to Arizona, Jones backtracked. He told reporters there was no trade yet.

“There is no trade right now,” he said. Still, he hinted that something could happen before Tuesday’s deadline. “There is one I can do, and I’m leaning toward doing it.”

Jones made it clear that the loss didn’t change his plans. He explained that his earlier words referred to a trade that hasn’t reached its final stage.

“You can’t have a trade done if you haven’t gotten it done,” he said.

No team or player names have surfaced, keeping the mystery alive. Jones’s comments left fans wondering if he had jumped ahead or if something real was brewing.

The trade drama also overshadowed his other big news. Jones confirmed a $2 billion partnership with the NHL to host the 2027 NHL Stadium Series at AT&T Stadium. The Dallas Stars will play there in what could become one of Texas’s biggest hockey events. Even with that major announcement, most eyes stayed on the trade talk.

With the deadline closing in, Jerry Jones once again managed to keep the Cowboys in the spotlight, with words that no one can quite pin down.