Cowboys Acquire 62-Game Starter in ‘Rare Divisional’ Trade With Giants

Getty The Cowboys are acquiring Jordan Phillips from the Giants.

The Dallas Cowboys are beefing up their defensive front with a veteran defensive tackle.

As reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Cowboys are trading for New York Giants defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. The deal involves the Cowboys sending a sixth-round pick with the Giants sending a seventh-round pick to Dallas.

“BREAKING: The #Giants are trading DT Jordan Phillips to the #Cowboys, per multiple sources,” wrote Schultz on Wednesday, August 14.

The Athletic’s Dan Duggan points out that the pick swap is during the 2026 NFL draft.

“Know it’s not much (reportedly a sixth for a seventh in 2026) but Phillips wasn’t making the roster, so getting anything is a win,” writes Duggan.

As Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team points out, it’s a “rare divisional” trade between the Cowboys and Giants. Trades between divisional rivals rarely happen in the NFL. However, considering both franchises are on different trajectories, with Dallas considered a playoff contender and New York more in a rebuild, the trade probably made sense for both teams.

“Trade: The #Giants are trading veteran DT Jordan Phillips to the #Cowboys, per @Schultz_Report,” writes Meirov. “A rare NFC East divisional trade.”

Jordan Phillips Was Buried on Giants Depth Chart

Phillips brings a wealth of experience to Dallas, having started 62 of his 120 career games. The 31-year-old Phillips — he’ll turn 32 in September — was buried on the Giants’ depth chart after signing with the team in the offseason.

As Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post points out, Phillips was on the third-string defense during training camp.

“After signing a one-year, $1.79 million contract in April, Phillips did not attend most of the voluntary offseason workouts,’ writes Dunleavy. “He has been stuck as a third-teamer throughout training camp and faced an uphill battle to survive the coming cut from 90 to 53 players.”

Jordan Phillips Brings Experience Behind Second-Year Mazi Smith

As ESPN’s Todd Archer notes, Dallas was looking for depth at defensive tackle.

“The move was not made because of any unhappiness with Mazi Smith’s development,” writes Archer on Wednesday, August 14. “Finding depth was a concern earlier in the offseason. Had some discussions with veteran FA Linval Joseph. Also had trade talks with another team in addition to the Giants that did not come about.”

The Oklahoma Sooners alum initially entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2015. After starting four games during his rookie season, Phillips started 11 games during his second and third years with the Dolphins.

After entering the 2018 season as a starter, he was waived in the middle of the season. He was eventually claimed by the Buffalo Bills, spending the 2018 and 2019 seasons in Buffalo. It was during his 2019 season with the Bills that Phillips posted a career year, racking up 9.5 sacks, 31 tackles 16 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for loss.

Phillips’ career year resulted in a three-year, $30 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2020 offseason. However, after two injury-plagued seasons — he appeared in just 18 total games with five sacks — Phillips was released by the Cardinals. The 6-foot-6 defensive tackle signed with the Bills for a second stint, starting nine games during the 2023 season in Buffalo.

Although Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa are considered the starters at defensive tackle, Phillips should immediately step in as a primary backup.