Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman believes the Dallas Cowboys' protracted Super Bowl drought originates with owner Jerry Jones. Aikman, now an analyst for "Monday Night Football," expressed this view on the "Dallas Dialogue with Dale" podcast in early August.
"I think that teams and organizations, whether it’s sports, business, I think it all does start at the top, good or bad," Aikman said. "I think it starts at the top. I don’t think Jerry would shy away from that. I think Jerry would certainly take responsibility. He’ll take accountability if and when they win. I think then you have to take responsibility when it hasn’t worked out. And it hasn’t worked out."
The Cowboys have not won a Super Bowl since 1996, a period spanning nearly three decades. Despite making the playoffs 13 times since their last championship, the team has failed to reach the NFC Championship game and has secured only five postseason victories.
"It’s hard to fathom," Aikman remarked on the podcast. "We talk every year about parity and how we’ve seen teams that have gone from last to first and teams that have not been historically very good, and yet they still make a run. They’ll make it to a championship game or they’ll make it to a Super Bowl. And yet for the Cowboys, that hasn’t happened."
Aikman added that the Cowboys' fanbase deserves better performance from the "flagship franchise." The team is heading into the 2026 season after finishing below a .500 record in consecutive seasons for the first time since the early 2000s.