The Dallas Cowboys have been left behind in the NFC. Amid the Philadelphia Eagles‘ return to excellence — punctuated by a 41-7 beatdown of the Cowboys last week — and the Washington Commanders‘ stunning rise, Dallas has been left without options to return to the playoffs in search of an elusive sixth Super Bowl title.
The Cowboys’ Super Bowl drought has been extended to 29 years amid an injury-wracked year that will see the team end the 2024 season without starting quarterback Dak Prescott and star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Longtime owner Jerry Jones, now 82 years old, is facing significant pushback amidst this lengthy barren run — and he has been “encouraged” to go about things differently in light of a brutally-disappointing 2024 campaign.
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Former NFL team president rips Jones for team-building approach
A season that began with Super Bowl expectations devolved into chaos as the Cowboys’ porous defense undid anything Prescott, Lamb, and the offense achieved. Blame for the dichotomy between the two units has been laid at the feet of head coach Mike McCarthy — but Jones has left the door open for McCarthy to return next season, despite not yet extending his contract to cover 2025.
Former Eagles and Cleveland Browns president Joe Banner slammed Jones for his complacency, remarking that the NFL‘s top teams — including the Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions, and the Buffalo Bills — have left the Cowboys in the dust with their clarity of vision and superior coaching, as well as drafting and roster-building.
However, Jones is considered “unlikely” to change his ways, even amidst the growing criticism and recognition of his methods as being old-fashioned. For example, the Cowboys have not committed to starting Cooper Rush at quarterback for the season finale against the Commanders, which prompted immediate speculation that Jones does not want to pay Rush a $250,000 incentive that kicks in based on the signal-caller’s snap count. If that is the case, then it really would be “business as usual” in Dallas, as the rest of the NFL threatens to leave the Cowboys clinging to their 1990s glories for many more years.
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