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It’s been 31 seasons since the Dallas Cowboys last played in a Super Bowl game. That season-ending victory came at the conclusion of the 1995 NFL season on January 28, 1996.
Heck, it has been 31 seasons since the Dallas Cowboys have even played in the NFC Championship game!
Team owner and billionaire huckster Jerry Jones tried to convince Dallas Cowboys fans last summer that trading away the team’s best defensive player was a smart move. Micah Parsons wanted ol’ Jer to pony-up with another high dollar contract to remain in Dallas.
Instead, the owner shipped Parsons to the Green Bay Packers right before the 2025 season began. The defensive rushing specialist received what he wanted, though.
Micah Parsons signed a new contract in Green Bay last fall paying him $188 million over four years (a whopping $47 million per season).
Dallas received Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from Green Bay plus two first round draft picks as part of the deal.
After losing Micah Parsons, Big D’s defense became a league-wide joke in 2025. You can’t consider your team a title contender with a defense which allowed an NFL high 30.1 points per game last season.
Cowboys fans were understandably upset after team owner Jerry Jones dealt the team’s “lone star” defensive player one year ago. Jones’ history of meddling with the team’s roster has backfired plenty of times during this 31 season title drought.
Despite the absence of a competitive defense, Dallas still finished with a fairly respectable 7-9-1 record last season. Only the prolific offense of the Cowboys saved the 2025 team from being a total disaster.
Something feels different this year…
In April, Dallas selected safety Caleb Downs from Ohio State with the 11th pick in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. A two-time college football All-American, Downs was expected to be taken earlier in the first round. The Dallas Cowboys appear to have capitalized on a little bit of good fortune.
Dallas then added another defensive pick with its second selection during Round 1. Defensive edge rusher Malachi Lawrence played college football for UCF under the watchful eye of the Cowboys’ new defensive line coach, Demeitri Brim.
Last season’s “defenseless” Cowboys had just made two first round solid defensive picks in the NFL Draft.
Over the past week, the Cowboys re-signed defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (who was acquired from the New York Jets last season) to a new three-year deal worth $106 million.
Williams played college football at Alabama under Coach Nick Saban. He is well liked by his new teammates in Dallas.
Is Maxx Crosby still a possible addition?
It’s no secret that Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby would like to come play for the Dallas Cowboys. The former fourth round selection out of Eastern Michigan played his high school football in Colleyville, Texas – just north of Fort Worth.
Maxx Crosby plays his position with incredible effort and intensity. He is a five-time NFL Pro Bowler entering his eighth NFL season – all with the woeful Raiders franchise. He was briefly traded earlier this year (for two first round selections) to the Baltimore Ravens.
Unfortunately, Crosby failed the physical exam after rehabbing a knee injury incurred last fall. That nullified the deal and required Crosby to return to the Raiders.
Dallas made a competitive offer to the Raiders for Maxx Crosby (a first round and second round pick) but fell short. Crosby’s knee injury may be healed sufficiently by now to warrant another trade offer from Dallas owner Jerry Jones over the next month.
There’s no doubt that Maxx Crosby would represent a significantly upgrade to the Dallas defensive front. His intense style of play would quickly make him a fan favorite in Dallas.
Keep an eye on this development in the weeks ahead.
Cowboys made Brandon Aubrey the highest paid kicker in the NFL
Seven million dollars per year sounds like a lot of money to pay for a field goal kicker.
That’s what Dallas placekicker Brandon Aubrey will receive for the next four years after recently becoming the NFL’s highest paid kicker.
Aubrey’s path to riches came without kicking a football in either high school or college. He was a talented soccer player at Notre Dame and played professionally in Canada.
The USFL’s Birmingham Stallions gave Brandon Aubrey a pro football tryout and signed him. Aubrey delivered booming kick-offs and field goals in Birmingham over his two seasons with the spring football league team.
The Dallas Cowboys signed him in 2023. Brandon Aubrey made the NFL Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons. He has booted six field goals of 60 yards or more in his career and provides the potent Dallas offense with a reliable scoring weapon.
What about Dallas wide receiver George Pickens?
Pickens (who played wide receiver in college at Georgia) was a second round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. His first NFL contract paid him nearly $7 million – over a four year period.
George Pickens and former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t seem to get along very well. Pickens occasionally displayed less than 100% effort on the field at times. That put him into the coaches’ dog house.
He compounded his own troubles with the Steelers and their loyal fans by posting “Free Me” comments on social media.
The Steelers obliged and sent “Pouty” Pickens packing to Dallas in 2025.
For just a lowly 6th round draft pick, the Cowboys inserted George Pickens into the starting line-up last season and saw his on-field talent. He snagged 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns for Dallas last year.
Dallas’ primary wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, benefited from having the speedy George Pickens on the field at the same time running routes to keep defenses off balance.
Following his productive 2025 season, Pickens demanded a new long-term contract from Dallas owner Jerry Jones.
Instead, the Cowboys recently placed its “franchise” designation on their new wide receiver. The team likely wants to see more than one season of positive results prior to plunking down big bucks for a long-term deal.
Don’t feel sorry for George Pickens.
He will receive nearly $24 million for the upcoming 2026 season. That “franchise” designation requires Dallas to pay him the average of the five highest paid wide receivers in the entire NFL.
Dallas fans should watch closely to see if George Pickens will continue to show improvement this season or return into his former disgruntled self while playing in Pittsburgh.
Can quarterback Dak Prescott finally lead the Cowboys to an NFC title game?
Prescott is entering his 11th NFL season in Dallas. His impressive personal stats and friendly personality have made him a fan favorite.
That said, Dak is only 2-5 in playoff games during his first decade in Big D.
The former Haughton High School (Shreveport area) and Mississippi State product is being paid $60 million per season. A four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Dak Prescott is now being paid at a high level that team owner Jerry Jones, head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and Dallas fans now expect a deep run into the NFL playoffs.
Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Prescott has not delivered – yet.
Is Dallas a legitimate contender to win the NFC East this season?
Absolutely!
The NFC East has been dominated for the past several years by the Philadelphia Eagles. Philly’s dominant defense and efficient offense has produced 50 wins against just 18 losses in the past four NFL seasons. They won the 2024 Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, Philadelphia’s core of top players on offense and defense has been dwindling by the year. The Eagles posted an 11-6 record last season but were quickly bounced out of the playoffs in the opening round (at home) by San Francisco.
Wagering lines posted by Las Vegas oddsmakers show the Philadelphia Eagles remaining the favorite to once again capture the NFC East title in 2026. The Dallas Cowboys are projected to finish one game behind.
Dallas must apply early pressure this fall to nudge the Eagles off their perch atop the NFC East standings.
The Cowboys’ 2026 schedule appears somewhat favorable.
Dallas plays nine home games and eight road games in the NFL’s 17-week regular season. A pair of late season road games at defending Super Bowl champion Seattle and at the NFC runner-up Los Angeles Rams will likely decide the playoff fate for the Cowboys.
To the surprise of no one, “America’s Team” (ugh) will play in six nationally televised prime time night games. Three (including the season opener at the New York Giants) will be featured on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Dallas will appear twice on Monday Night Football (ESPN) and one time on Thursday night (Amazon Prime).
Prediction:
There is no doubt that Dallas has an excellent opportunity to return to the playoffs in the 2026 NFL season. The defense will improve (it can’t be worse than last season’s 32nd place showing). Dallas’ productive offense (2nd in the NFL in scoring last year) is back and seems ready to roll once again.
Regardless of whether defensive weapon Maxx Crosby comes aboard this year, I see Dallas improving to a record of 10-7 in the regular season.
That means that Dallas should make the playoffs – either as NFC East champions or as a Wild Card entry.
I have no clue about the playoffs. Recent history would suggest that you might not wish to place any wagers on the “Boys” once the post-season begins.
Buckle up and enjoy the ride this season, Cowboys fans!
Perhaps this might even be the year when Dallas ends that 31-season “no titles” streak.