The bad news for the Dallas Cowboys is that they are still under .500 seven games into the 2026 NFL season. The good news, however, is that they are coming off a statement 38-21 win over their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys now sit second in the NFC East, 1.5 games behind the New York Giants, leaving them with a chance to make up ground in the coming weeks. Owner Jerry Jones seems confident about the team’s position, too.

Jerry Jones’ Trade Deadline Stance Doesn’t Sit Well With Cowboys Fans

Ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, Jones said the Cowboys don’t need to make a move to keep pace with other teams, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota.

“It would have to be a dynamic situation to give up (draft) picks,” Jones added.

With just four picks in next year’s draft, Jones may have a point about being cautious with the team’s draft capital, especially after trading for Joey Porter Jr. But it’s also hard to ignore how badly Dallas needs better depth and improved performances on the defensive side of the ball.

One Cowboys fan wasn’t buying Jones’ lack of urgency, writing, “Jerry, this ain’t the conversation we had. Go get Maxx Crosby like we talked about.”

Crosby was at the center of an offseason trade that would have sent him to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks for the Las Vegas Raiders. However, the deal fell through after he failed a physical because of concerns surrounding his surgically repaired knee.

The star defensive end remains a potential trade target for Dallas ahead of the deadline, especially since the Cowboys pursued him in the offseason. That deal ultimately fell apart because the two sides couldn’t agree on his value.

Meanwhile, another fan believes Jones’ approach is the reason the Cowboys have struggled for so long.

“This is the real reason Dallas hasn’t won anything in 30 years… just incompetence,” they wrote.

The Cowboys last appeared in the NFC Championship Game during the 1995 season, eventually defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers to win Super Bowl XXX. Since then, they have lost seven times in the NFC Divisional Round.

One Cowboys fan pointed to Dallas’ pass-rush struggles, remarking, “Someone needs to tell Jerry that the Cowboys have no pass rush or rarely put pressure on the QB.”

Dallas’ defensive struggles back up that fan’s criticism. The Cowboys rank 20th in passing yards allowed (228 per game), 23rd in points allowed (25.7), and last in rushing yards allowed (145.7). They also sit dead last in the league with a PFN Defense Impact Score of 61.4.

Another fan wrote, “Draft picks are overrated. We need to make a big-time trade.”

Some notable moves this month include the Seahawks acquiring guard Quenton Nelson, the 49ers trading for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and the Bears sending two first-round picks to the Titans for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Cowboys fans are wondering why their team can’t be just as aggressive.

Cowboys Fan Says Defense Needs More Than One Big Trade

Another fan believes the Cowboys are several moves away from having an elite defense.

He wrote, “Delusional talk.. Put it this way, even if they did make 1 big trade on defense, they couldn’t keep up with the other top teams… they would need like 1 big move and 2 mid-level moves all on defense to be in the conversation… EDGE and ILB are huge weaknesses.”

Another chimed in, “This is ridiculous. That old man is delusional. This team is nowhere near competing for a Super Bowl, let alone making the playoffs.”

Reacting to what he saw as Jones backtracking, one X user wrote, “Wow. Walking it back now. That is crazy to me.”

The Cowboys may start to change some of these opinions if they can put together a winning streak. That starts with their Week 8 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.