NFL trade deadline day came and went and the Dallas Cowboys did not make a trade after months of talk from owner Jerry Jones that he was interested in making another move.

Jones had said so in training camp after making a flurry of moves during the offseason, and he held his stance even after the trade for Joey Porter Jr. with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But a lot has changed since back in training camp, and even since the Porter trade.

We've discovered that, despite everything Jones did during the offseason and into the regular season, none of it worked.

Disappointed Jerry?

On 105.3 The Fan, Bryan Broaddus said that he thinks the lack of a move at the deadline is a sign that Jones finally realizes his team just isn't any good.

"I think that Jerry has come to the realization that his team isn't any good," Broaddus said. "I think he understands where the defense is at."

"I think there's a lot of those guys, the lieutenants and stuff, that tell him stuff and he's probably a little bit disappointed in them," Broaddus added.

The writing was on the wall for days leading up to the deadline that the Cowboys wouldn't do anything. After all, Jones went out of his way to temper expectations and said "I don't look for us to make a significant trade" on deadline day.

Reality sinking in

Based on everything we have heard from Jones recently, we agree with Broaddus that the Cowboys owner didn't have any motivation to make another move after what has transpired in 2026.

Jones has definitely sounded more disappointed of late, which is a change because, even with all of the terrible play this season, he usually tries to stay optimistic.

After the Cowboys barely defeated a lowly Indianapolis Colts team in Week 9, Jones called the win "bittersweet" and admitted that his team isn't "playing very good" and needed "some help to get that win."

Jones also wouldn't give a direct answer when asked if his lack of aggressiveness at the trade deadline was a result of the team's inconsistent play this season.

"I cant answer that. I don’t know," Jones said before admitting that the team hadn't had any meaningful talks about adding a player in multiple weeks.

That sure sounds like an owner who realizes that there is nothing he can do to save this team, and we can't blame Jerry if he feels that way.

There has been no indication that the Cowboys are even close to righting the ship and they aren't one player away from fixing their issues, which are no doubt systemic.

So, giving up another draft pick or more for a trade that probably wouldn't have helped, anyway, wouldn't have been a wise idea.

The fact of the matter is, the Cowboys are going to need at least another offseason to fix their issues on defense, and that process should start with an overhaul of the coaching staff, starting with head coach Brian Schottenheimer.