Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Jack Sanborn is a victim of the franchise's active 2025 NFL trade deadline, with the team acquiring fellow LB Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals for a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Then again, Sanborn is really just a victim of his own underperformance.
All season, the Cowboys have been lit up defensively. Through the air and on the ground, the latter of which Sanborn excelled. That Sanborn was a major liability in the passing game was something that couldn't be ignored any longer, though.
Hence, the Wilson deal, and Sanborn's being placed on injured reserve for the team's matchups against the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs. He also missed Dallas' 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals this past Monday before the deadline on Tuesday.
Whether Sanborn makes his way off the IR and back onto the field is anyone's guess, though an educated one would learn towards "no," given the aggressiveness of the Cowboys' trade deadline dealings.
Matt Eberflus Loses Excuses at Trade Deadline, Including Jack Sanborn
What the Cowboys gained in talent at the trade deadline, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus lost in excuses. The first-year hire has drastically underperformed after many were skeptical of his arrival after a shaky tenure, to put it nicely, leading the Chicago Bears as their head coach.
With the interior trenches beefed up significantly through the Wilson and Quinnen Williams trades, Dallas is no longer hoping to win high-scoring firefights every week. There's a clear mandate from the top down to fix the leaky point-prevention unit that hasn't been doing a whole lot of point-preventing in 2025. Now, if Eberflus is to stay another year, as ownership desires, it'll have to be earned.
No more Sanborn having no hope against receivers in the flat. No more Mazi Smith struggling to hold up the run. There are big-time players in their place with proven track records, and the Cowboys' DC has no excuse to use lesser names moving forward. Maybe Sanborn can be given another opportunity down the line, but that'll likely only happen if someone else falters or gets hurt.
It's do-or-die for Eberflus down the stretch. He has some new tools to use to get his unit back on track, which should have Sanborn on the outside looking in. The veteran defender simply isn't a good fit in Dallas, and the team's trade deadline moves mean there are officially no more reasons to keep playing someone who's more detrimental than beneficial.