The Dallas Cowboys have several ongoing heated position battles, including at wide receiver. With the addition of George Pickens, questions surround what wideouts Dallas will retain to fill out the roster.
Jalen Tolbert has been competing to be the team’s third wide receiver alongside Pickens and CeeDee Lamb. Yet, Tolbert appears to have had an inconsistent training camp, putting his future with the franchise in question.
Cowboys Wire’s Reid Hanson floated the idea of trading Tolbert for a veteran at a position of need. Let’s dive into the merits for potentially trading Tolbert.
Cowboys Rumors: Could Dallas Trade WR Jalen Tolbert?
Tolbert is in danger of being overtaken on the depth chart by KaVontae Turpin and Jonathan Mingo for his starting spot as third wide receiver. Cowboys rookie Traeshon Holden has also been one of the standouts of training camp. Hanson makes the argument for Dallas trading Tolbert.
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“Tolbert, a free agent come winter, is coming off a solid season of work,” Hanson wrote in an August 12, 2025, story titled, “Trade fodder? Cowboys could flip pending FA worth $10 million a year for position of need.” “His 610 receiving yards, seven touchdowns and 892 offensive snaps are better than the numbers comparable WRs like Darius Slayton, Josh Palmer and Tutu Atwell posted last season.
“It’s also worth noting all three of these comparable WRs recently signed for deals averaging $10 million or more in APY. Cowboys’ fans may not be bullish on Tolbert but his production is a valuable commodity in the NFL these days. Teams are willing to pay,” Hanson added.
“Practices have been a mixed bag for Tolbert. He’s still not consistently going strong to the ball, leading to challenges and even turnovers. Mingo doesn’t have quite the body of work to show he’s more trustworthy, but he’s on a clear incline in his development, he’s under contract for an extra year, and he’s the superior run blocker on a team that wants more run blocking from the WR position.”
Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert Is Coming Off His Best NFL Season With 49 Catches for 610 Yards & 7 TDs
There are reasonable arguments for keeping Tolbert, namely the wideout is coming off his best NFL season. Tolbert posted 49 receptions for 610 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 appearances (including 15 starts) during the 2024 season.
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The receiver’s play last season is a much larger sample size than a few training camp practices. Beyond being a potential trade chip, Tolbert faces an uncertain future in Big D.
Tolbert is heading into the final season of a four-year, $5.1 million rookie contract. If the Cowboys are unlikely to re-sign Tolbert in 2026, Dallas could be more inclined to at least receive something in return via trade for the wideout.
The Cowboys Are Moving up WR Traeshon Holden on the Depth Chart
To make matters more challenging for Tolbert, Holden appears to be trending upward. After the team’s initial preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed that he plans to move Holden up the depth chart.
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“Traeshon’s done that every day in practice, literally every day, there’s been one or two big plays,” Schottenheimer explained to reporters on August 9. “And when you do that, you get noticed. And when you do that, you get more opportunities and I’m just proud of him.
“And, again, he’s a guy that’s going to – you’ll see him moving up the depth chart.”
