FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 campaign was doomed from the start with a shaky head coach rumors and contract extension dealings with their star players last offseason. Mike McCarthy held his post and both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb signed their deals, but the bad vibes carried over onto the field.
Dallas finished 7-10, seeing both those stars get injured and the head coach part ways with the franchise. Early on in the season, any hopes of a return to the postseason were vanquished.
While that reality was a frustrating concept to stomach for Cowboys fans, such mediocre results on the field had everyone ready to turn the page and accept another failed effort.
ESPN analyst Troy Aikman.
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
But the playoffs gave these feelings new life. The Philadelphia Eagles won their second Super Bowl in the last decade, making for a sour end to the season. Perhaps worst of all though, a second NFC East foe accomplished a feat that directly mocked Dallas’ shortcomings.
The Washington Commanders broke what was the longest NFC Championship Game drought, leaving the Cowboys alone now with the most tenured absence. That reality has increased the temperature around The Star.
Not only are fans taking notice, but legends of the team have grown weary of the Cowboys’ lack of success. Three-time Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman spoke out for Cowboys fans on the matter at a charity event Tuesday afternoon.
“I thought we had more in us and I thought we would be back, obviously we weren’t… here we are three decades later and no one’s been back. I think I speak for Cowboys fans in saying ‘it’s been a long time.’
“This is the Dallas Cowboys. It’s an organization has great history and this team has won a lot of games over the years… for whatever reasons they just haven’t been able to get it done in the postseason. I don’t think anybody’s happy about that.”
It has in fact been a long time and already the Cowboys have taken a gamble this offseason to turn things around. While Brian Schottenheimer has been applauded for the star-studded coaching staff around him, he himself is a first-time head coach with a lackluster track record.
That places immense pressure on him to win now. Besides the new head coach, the Cowboys have urgent needs to plug holes around their roster and sign Micah Parsons to his own extension.
Dallas has a lot to do this offseason and even more to prove once the 2025 season starts. As Aikman says, no one involved is happy about this drought. Once again, the burden falls on the Cowboys to make the decisions that actively change not only the mindset, but the results on the field as well.
