Jerry Jones Hints Cowboys May Not Be Done After Joey Porter Jr. Trade

The Dallas Cowboys are off to a difficult start after falling to 2-3. With the team under pressure, the front office must decide how to improve the roster before the season slips away.

Owner Jerry Jones , however, made it clear that the Cowboys are still open to trades. He said he would spend future draft picks on a player with long-term potential, and Dallas is not giving up on this season.

Cowboys owner addresses future draft capital amid slow start

The Cowboys fell to 2-3 on Thursday night with a 24-16 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who played without injured quarterback Baker Mayfield. Dallas had just beaten the Houston Texans 34-30 in Week 4 to get back to .500. Tampa Bay took control in the second half when their ground game wore down the Cowboys' defense to secure the lead.

After the loss, Jones was asked if one player is worth giving up future draft capital. "Yes, I wouldn't give up future capital for a player who didn't have some future or potential future," Jones said . "But would that make an impact this year? I'm just saying because the future capital that you have are draft picks and those guys have question marks with them too."

Jones expressed he was extraordinarily disappointed and surprised by how well Tampa Bay ran the ball, but Dallas is not quitting on the season. He added, "And so if we do see an opportunity and it fits for us, then we'll take a good look at it. No, I'm not, this isn't fold the tents here. We are two and three."

Dallas also played without cornerback Joey Porter Jr., its newest trade acquisition, due to an illness.

Jerry Jones refuses to fold the tents on the Cowboys season

Porter's arrival serves as the prime example of Jones' willingness to part with future assets, costing Dallas a 2028 second-round selection and a conditional 2027 sixth-round pick. The sixth-round pick is tied to a clause that reportedly sends it to Pittsburgh only if Porter is on the gameday roster for at least two games this season.

Jones also admitted Dallas did not see this start coming. "We didn't expect to be two and three. We didn't expect this, we didn't expect this Tampa team to come in here either," Jones said . "And they've got a lot of good players and they unquestionably, they were the better team."

Dallas next plays October 18 at Green Bay after a nine-day gap, and Porter is still waiting to give the Cowboys a return on that trade after missing the Tampa Bay game with an illness. He has appeared in one game for Dallas, the win over Houston.