Making a trade suggestion is one thing, but making one that involves three teams is another thing entirely — and that’s what one NFL analyst recently did with the Dallas Cowboys and two other teams.
Three-team trades in the NFL are very rare, but one of the most memorable trades in NFL history was a three-team deal. That was the one that sent Eric Dickerson from the Los Angeles Rams to the Indianapolis Colts, and the deal involved the Buffalo Bills, also.
In a recent article suggesting three-team trades ahead of the 2024 season, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox had the Cowboys landing themselves a young quarterback and a third-round pick, along with two other players.
Here’s the full scenario that includes the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals:
Cardinals Get: WR Brandin Cooks, Lions’ 2025 fifth-round pick, Cowboys’ 2025 third-round pick
Cowboys Get: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, RB Craig Reynolds, QB Hendon Hooker, Lions 2026 third-round pick
Lions Get: S Budda Baker
While giving up Cooks would not be ideal considering the Cowboys’ situation at wide receiver, Dallas is getting back a solid depth piece in Donovan Peoples-Jones, who would slot in to the No. 3 role behind Jalen Tolbert and CeeDee Lamb.
The trade gives the Cowboys another much-needed option at running back in Craig Reynolds and a potential long-term solution at quarterback in Hendon Hooker, who could end up replacing Dak Prescott if the Cowboys move on.
Ideally, the Cowboys hold on to their 2025 third-round pick, as the team could move into some semblance of a rebuilding face next offseason. However, at least Dallas gets back a third-rounder in 2026 in the deal.
This trade isn’t exactly a no-brainer, but it would be one the Cowboys would have to seriously consider, and it’s one we would pull the trigger on. That said, the likelihood of it happening is slim, at best.