A 62-game starter is acquired by the Cowboys from the Giants in a “rare divisional” transaction.
By adding a seasoned defensive tackle, the Dallas Cowboys are strengthening their defensive line. The Cowboys are acquiring defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from the New York Giants through a trade, as reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Giants send a seventh-round pick to Dallas in exchange for the Cowboys sending a sixth-round pick.
On Wednesday, August 14, Schultz wrote, “BREAKING: The #Giants are trading DT Jordan Phillips to the #Cowboys, per multiple sources.” Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes that the selection swap will take place in the 2026 NFL draft. Duggan comments, “Know it’s not much (reportedly a sixth for a seventh in 2026) but getting anything is a win because Phillips wasn’t making the roster.”
The Giants and Cowboys are involved in a “rare divisional” deal, as noted by Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. In the NFL, trades between divisional opponents are rare. Nonetheless, the trade certainly made sense for both teams given that their paths are different—Dallas is viewed as a playoff contender, while New York is mostly focused on rebuilding.
Meirov reports, “Trade: Per @Schultz_Report, the #Giants are trading veteran DT Jordan Phillips to the #Cowboys.” “A rare divisional trade in the NFC East.” The Giants Depth Chart Buried Jordan Phillips With 62 starts in his 120 career games, Phillips adds a plethora of experience to Dallas. After joining the Giants in the summer, the 31-year-old Phillips—who will be 32 in September—was buried on the team’s depth chart.
During training camp, Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post notes that Phillips was a third-string defensive end. The majority of the optional summer workouts were missed by Phillips after he agreed to a one-year, $1.79 million contract in April, according to Dunleavy. “Throughout training camp, he was confined to the third squad and faced an uphill battle to survive the impending cut from 90 to 53 players.”
Jordan Phillips Contributes Experience to Mazi Smith’s Second Year Todd Archer of ESPN points out that Dallas was searching for defensive tackle depth. On Wednesday, August 14, Archer writes, “The move was not made because of any unhappiness with Mazi Smith’s development.” Earlier in the offseason, there were concerns about finding depth. had a conversation with Linval Joseph, a seasoned FA. had unfulfilled trade talks with a different team in addition to the Giants.
The former Oklahoma Sooners player was first selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Phillips started 11 games in his second and third seasons with the Dolphins, after his four starts in his rookie campaign.
He was waived in the middle of the 2018 season, having started the previous one. The Buffalo Bills finally claimed him, and he played in Buffalo for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Phillips had a career year in 2019 with the Bills, recording 9.5 sacks, 31 tackles, 16 quarterback hits, and 13 tackles for loss.
In the 2020 offseason, Phillips signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals as a result of his outstanding year. But Phillips was cut by the Cardinals following two injury-plagued seasons in which he played in just 18 games overall and recorded five sacks. The 6-foot-6 defensive tackle inked a contract with the Buffalo Bills for a second stint in 2023, making nine starts in that season. This defensive tackle position is thought to be starting for Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa, but Phillips should be ready to go right away as the primary backup.