The Dallas Cowboys wide receivers room looks equally promising and exciting over the first five weeks.
CeeDee Lamb has cemented himself as one of the league’s premier wideouts, which is nothing new, but the team’s offseason trade for George Pickens gave Dak Prescott the kind of big-bodied vertical threat he had been missing.
The addition of Pickens, while impactful, has also pushed Jalen Tolbert into a new role as Dallas’ WR3.
That’s why some believe he is quietly becoming a name to watch as the trade deadline approaches. He’s entering the final year of his rookie deal, and with the Cowboys’ financial commitments already tied up in cornerstone pieces like Lamb and Prescott, front office decisions on complementary pieces like Tolbert become more complicated.
Cowboys Wire’s Todd Brock is among those who feel Tolbert could be traded as part of a package deal in the event owner Jerry Jones decides to add more players.
Will the Dallas Cowboys Trade WR Jalen Tolbert Before the 2025 Trade Deadline?
GettyDallas Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert has been named a potential trade chip this season. Will they move him?
Referring to a conversation Jones had on October 7 in which the Cowboys owner mentioned he was “open for business” when it comes to adding player via trade, Brock rattled off a short list of potentially expendable players.
“The Cowboys front office has previously stated that they prefer to sit back and let teams reach out to them with a trade offer, but if Jones senses that an inside track at a playoff berth is within reach, the team certainly has resources to go out and spend for the right player,” Brock wrote on October 7, adding:
“Current Cowboys players like Luke Schoonmaker, Donovan Wilson, Dante Fowler, or even Jalen Tolbert could potentially be added to a package deal for an interested trade partner.”
The Pickens addition changed everything, to be sure, but the emergence of others in the Cowboys WRs room is a factor, as well. KaVontae Turpin has carved out a niche role for himself and Ryan Flournoy just broke out with the first 100-yard game of his young career Week 5.
If the Cowboys decide they need help on defense (the defensive line and secondary in particular could use a boost) and prefer picks over paying Tolbert next spring, he could certainly wind up part of a trade package for Dallas.
More on Tolbert’s 3+ Years in Dallas
Tolbert arrived in Dallas as a 2022 third-round pick (No. 88) after rewriting South Alabama’s record books. He set program records for catches (178), yards (3,140) and TDs (22), while winning 2021 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. Listed at 6-1, 195, he had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in college.
He struggled to get acclimated to NFL speed out of the gate, though. As a rookie in 2022, he had just two receptions for 12 yards across eight games, then carved out a rotational role in 2023 with 22 grabs for 268 yards and two scores.
Year 3, he had a breakthrough. In 2024 Tolbert started 15 games and finished with 49 catches for 610 yards and a team-high seven receiving TDs. Through five games this year, he’s at 10 receptions for 101 yards (no TDs).
With the trade deadline approaching on November 4, it feel likely the Cowboys will make a move or two, particularly if they win a few more games. Whether that means Tolbert’s a goner remains to be seen.
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