Cowboys backed off Jordyn Brooks trade before $51 million Dolphins extension

The Dallas Cowboys had some interest in trading for Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks earlier this offseason. But that interest cooled well before Brooks signed his $51.3 million extension with Miami on Tuesday, according to Cowboys insider Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News.

Hoyt reported on X that Dallas was already backing away from the idea even before they made another move at the position. That move? Trading for Dee Winters from the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason for draft compensation. The Cowboys clearly felt like that was enough for now.

Here’s the thing about the Cowboys’ defense last year. It was bad. Like historically bad for a team with playoff aspirations. The linebacker room specifically was a problem area. But the front office seems to think they’ve patched enough holes without making a big splash for a guy like Brooks.

Brooks is a solid player no doubt. He’s young, he can cover, he’s physical against the run. But $51 million for a linebacker who’s not exactly a game-wrecker? That’s a pretty big commitment. And Dallas has cap considerations to think about with extensions looming for other players.

Dallas bet on offense last year. It didn’t work.

The Cowboys offense was elite in 2025. Dak Prescott had maybe the best season of his career. Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens formed one of the most dangerous receiver duos in the league. The offensive line was solid. The running game was respectable. Everything was clicking on that side of the ball.

But the defense was a disaster. And that’s why they missed the playoffs or got bounced early (depending on how you look at it). You can’t have a bottom-five defense and expect to make noise in January. It just doesn’t work.

So this offseason, Dallas went all-in on fixing that side of the ball. They used both first-round picks on defensive players. The headliner was safety Caleb Downs out of Alabama, taken 11th overall. They addressed the defensive line. They added Winters at linebacker. They made a series of moves aimed at making the defense at least average.

Maybe that’s enough. Maybe it’s not. But the message is clear — they’re comfortable rolling with what they have at linebacker rather than paying top dollar for Brooks.

The Cowboys open the 2026 season on September 13 against the New York Giants on the road. We’ll see pretty quickly whether that linebacker room is actually fixed or if they’ll regret not swinging a bigger deal.