Two teams that are expected to be aggressive for an edge rusher trade ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline are the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.
Both teams simply aren’t getting enough sack production overall, and the Niners were dealt a devastating blow after an injury to Nick Bosa and the Cowboys shot themselves in the foot by trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.
Based on rumors, it would appear Dallas and San Francisco are aiming big, so nothing should be off the table.
The Cowboys reportedly put in a call to the Las Vegas Raiders about Maxx Crosby, although it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. Adding to that, both teams are rumored to have interest in Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Unfortunately, like Crosby, Hendrickson doesn’t appear to be available.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox has correctly identified both teams as potential suitors for an edge rusher, and more specifically he believes they are possible trade partners for Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
The 26-year-old was a solid edge-defender when healthy early in his career and again appears healthy after injury-impacted seasons in 2023 and 2024.
While Phillips is an impending 2026 free agent and would require an extension in the spring, he has a combination of age, upside and physical tools that usually aren’t available at the trade deadline.
Potential Suitors: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers
The Dolphins are widely considered one of the most likely sellers at the deadline. Not only are they 1-6, but the team is completely dysfunctional as a whole and is headed for major changes in 2026.
As a result, the Dolphins should be selling off as many players as possible to acquire more draft capital to aid in their inevitable rebuild.
Phillips will be one of their more attractive assets and it’s realistic to think he could get traded because he’s in the final year of his contract, which earns him $13.2 million thanks to the fifth-year option.
The 26-year-old former first-round pick showed a ton of promise with 22 sacks over his first three years in the NFL. But Phillips was then sidetracked after suffering an Achilles tear in 2023 and a torn ACL in 2024.
The Miami product is now healthy in 2025 and has appeared in all seven games for the Dolphins, tallying two sacks and 22 pressures. Bear in mind, he’s in his first season back from another major injury, so he could get even better as the year progresses.
Phillips would amount to an upgrade for both the Niners and Cowboys, and he’s also young enough to be a long-term solution, although that would require an extension.
