Herbert's third playoff appearance, a 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots on January 12, 2026, further cemented his poor postseason record. He completed just 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards, zero touchdowns, was sacked six times, and lost a fumble — resulting in a career postseason passer rating of just 64.7 across three games. He remains 0-3 in the playoffs with no deep run, fully validating Ryan Clark's take.

The Cowboys did draft a wide receiver (Anthony Smith, ECU, pick #218 in the 7th round), satisfying condition one — though it was a deep depth pick rather than a meaningful signal. However, George Pickens was NOT traded during the draft; he signed his franchise tag and remained on the Cowboys roster, with Stephen Jones explicitly stating no trade intention. The take's core thesis — that the announcement was a signal of a Pickens trade — proved false.

Awaiting result — this take gets a grade once it resolves.