The Dallas Cowboys made several offseason moves to bolster their roster and put a more formidable group around starting quarterback Dak Prescott. While the offense has been the least of the Cowboys' issues during the first half of the 2025 campaign, the defense has been a major issue, and one of the veterans brought into Dallas has been anything but a factor since coming to town.
Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be much of an avenue forward for linebacker Jack Sanborn. The veteran defender has failed to impress despite being familiar with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and his style of play. After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears, before joining Dallas during the offseason, Sanborn's familiarity with Eberflus was expected to make him a key contributor, but he has been anything but that thus far.
Jack Sanborn is Gone Barring Miracle 2nd Half of 2025 Regular Season
Sanborn has been considered to be a liability in pass coverage, and his play in Dallas has done little to change that opinion. The fact that the Cowboys have been picked apart by opposing passing attacks throughout the 2025 campaign has only made Sanborn's issues in that area more apparent.
As of Sunday afternoon, there appears to be little reason to think Sanborn will be back in the Lone Star State once the 2026 season kicks off. According to Pro Football Focus, Sanborn has an overall rating of 56.3, which ranks him 53rd amongst 78 eligible linebackers. His 23 solo tackles rank 61st amongst eligible linebackers, and his eight assists are 64th best. Those are the numbers of a player who should be considered replaceable, regardless of the connection he may have with the team's defensive coordinator.
It is hard to envision a scenario where Sanborn finds himself wearing Dallas blue beyond Week 18 unless he completely flips the script down the stretch. He's on an expiring one-year contract, which only highlights how important it is for him to capitalize on any opportunity he gets, yet that could be easier said than done, though
Sanborn is currently sidelined through at least early December after being placed on the injured reserve with a groin injury at the start of Week 10. That's making it even more difficult for the veteran to prove his worth to the front office and improve his chances of remaining with the team beyond this season.
It doesn't help that the Cowboys went out and acquired veteran linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals at the trade deadline. If Wilson immediately thrives after his debut, it'll be even tougher to imagine Sanborn returning to relevance any time soon.
It's clear that Sanborn has an uphill battle ahead of him in the season's second half. He's already been one of the most frustrating Cowboys to watch through 10 weeks, and time will tell if that reputation will follow him for the rest of the year.