‘JERRY JONES IS ABOUT TO BREAK THE BANK!’ The 2-Time Reigning Sack Champion Is Coming to Destroy the NFC East—A $51 Million MOVE THAT SAYS ‘SUPER BOWL OR BUST’!
Buckle up, Cowboys Nation—Jerry Jones is finally unleashing the beast! After years of playing it safe and pinching pennies on outside free agents, the Dallas owner has sworn to go all-in this offseason. Critics have scoffed, calling it a “low bar” given Jones’ history of building from within, but hold onto your hats because former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum just dropped a bombshell that’s got the entire league buzzing
In a fiery take on ESPN.com, Tannenbaum didn’t hold back: “The Cowboys will sign Trey Hendrickson.” Boom! Mic drop. This isn’t just any prediction—it’s a declaration of war on the NFC East. Hendrickson, the two-time reigning sack king with back-to-back 17.5-sack explosions (including leading the NFL in 2024), is poised to join forces with Dallas and turn the division into his personal demolition derby.
The Cowboys’ defense was a disaster in 2025, ranking dead last in the NFL. Holes everywhere, especially after trading away Micah Parsons, which sent their pass rush tumbling off a cliff. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker is tasked with the cleanup, but schemes alone won’t cut it—this squad needs elite talent to flip the script. And Hendrickson? He’s the nightmare fuel quarterbacks dread.
Sure, the 31-year-old (turning 32 next season) battled a core/hip/pelvic injury that limited him to just seven games and 4.0 sacks in 2025. But when healthy? Unstoppable. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the No. 1 free agent on the market and sixth among all edge defenders with a blistering 90.0 pass-rush grade. He’s racked up five straight seasons above 85.0 in that metric, generating 23 pressures on just 177 snaps last year. That’s dominance, folks.
This isn’t the first flirtation between Dallas and Hendrickson. At the 2025 trade deadline, when the Cowboys snagged Quinnen Williams from the Jets, whispers swirled about a Hendrickson blockbuster (they settled for Bengals teammate Logan Wilson instead). Now, as a free agent after a contract holdout saga with Cincinnati, Hendrickson’s price tag might just be the steal Jones needs.
Spotrac projects a two-year, $51 million deal—exactly the kind of bank-breaking move that screams “Super Bowl or bust!” PFF sees it even friendlier: a one-year, $21 million pact with $17 million guaranteed. With Dallas maneuvering cap space by restructuring deals, this is prime territory for Jones to prove he’s serious about hoisting that Lombardi Trophy
Imagine Hendrickson lining up alongside Williams and the rest of the front—quarterbacks in the NFC East (looking at you, Eagles, Giants, and Commanders) better start updating their life insurance policies. This isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a statement. Jerry Jones is done playing small ball. He’s breaking the bank, landing the sack champ, and aiming straight for glory. Cowboys fans, your redemption arc starts now!
BREAKING : Pat Freiermuth’s Status Revealed After Steelers Part Ways Jonnu Smith
Last Summer, the Pittsburgh Steelers were looking at their pass-catching unit, and they thought it needed some juice. After trading away George Pickens, it was clear that the team intended to make Pat Freiermuth the No. 2 option in the receiving game.
But in terms of pure pass catching, the Steelers wanted to get more dynamic. So they shipped Minkah Fitzpatrick back to South Beach, and in return, they received what would become his replacement via Jalen Ramsey, and what they believed to be a Swiss Army Knife on offense. Only the latter portion never happened, and now the Steelers are moving on.
Steelers cut TE Jonnu Smith ahead of free agency
This move comes with little surprise. After Omar Khan reassured the media about Freiermuth’s status at last week’s NFL Combine, it was a matter of if, not when, Smith would be released. The idea of Smith was a good one, but when put into practice, it fell flat.
Smith was supposed to be the Steelers’ move tight end. Coming off a career year with the Dolphins that saw him record over 700 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, the goal was to have him be a power slot, or flex tight end.
Instead, all that happened was that Smith and Freiermuth cannibalized each other’s target share, and Darnell Washington was left as the lost reliable option by the end of the year.
Smith recorded just 222 receiving yards in 2025, and more worrisome, he could never get on the same page with Aaron Rodgers. Even late in the year, there were mental errors between the two of them. That, along with the obvious elephant in the room, made this decision easy for Pittsburgh.
Steelers save $7 million in cap space by cutting Jonnu Smith
Not only does this move signal a future with the tandem of Washington and Freiermuth, it gives the Steelers close to $50 million in effective cap space before the league year even begins. Smith won’t be out of work very long, but between the financials and the lack of fit from the very beginning, you could see this move coming from a mile away.
This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.