Valentine Holmes is set to turn his back on his NFL dream, and will reportedly sign with the Cowboys on a deal worth around $1million a season.
According to The Courier-Mail, Holmes has already decided to join the Cowboys for 2020, and only an "eleventh-hour change of heart" would see Holmes remain in New York to continue chasing an NFL contract.
The move for Holmes means North Queensland is now an unlikely destination for Latrell Mitchell, who met with the Cowboys on Monday night.
Mitchell is seeking $1million a season, like Holmes, but the Cowboys couldn't afford to sign the pair as well as keeping Michael Morgan and Jason Taumalolo on their current contracts.
Former Cowboys captain Jonathan Thurston would be happy to have either player at the club, but says North Queensland needs to sort out their roster soon, to allow the new additions to understand the game plan.
“It’s a very complex situation,” Thurston told The Courier-Mail.
“If Valentine’s NFL dream keeps going then Latrell would be a handy addition for the Cowboys.
“If Latrell makes the decision to join the Cowboys, then I don’t know where that leaves Val. If Latrell decides to move on to the Tigers, that leaves the door open for Val.
“They would both be new to the structures of the Cowboys and getting to learn those.
“While they are very smart footballers and would pick it up quickly, you need to spend some time with them to get to know those defensive and offensive structures.
“They’re both great footballers and can win a game on their own. To have either of them at the club would be a handy addition. To have both of them really puts the Cowboys in premiership contention.”