Hall of Famer Troy Aikman spent his entire 12-season NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys. He has always wished the best for the Cowboys and wants to see them win a Super Bowl after 30 years. Their last win (Super Bowl XXX) came in 1996 when Aikman played as the quarterback. As they head into the 2026 season, the Cowboys legend has an important message for the team.

“Can that offense continue to play at the level that they did last year? That’s a big if,” said Aikman on ESPN’s Get Up. “It was one of Dak Prescott’s best years. It was George Pickens’ career year, and it was Javonte Williams’ career year. There was a lot that happened on the offensive side of the ball. The numbers may not look as good. In fact, I think if you’re a Cowboys fan, you hope the offensive numbers don’t look as good. Because that would then mean that the defense is better and playing a much bigger role in the success of that team.”

In layman’s terms, the Dallas Cowboys’ offense was arguably among the top in the 2025 season. As per Fox Sports’ rankings, they ranked second with 391.9 average yards and 51 touchdowns, after the Los Angeles Rams. Despite that, the Cowboys finished the regular season with a 7–9–1 record. Even though they placed 2nd in the NFC East, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Surely, it could raise questions about how a good offensive unit failed to lead the Cowboys to a better season. The answer lies with their defense. They ranked 30th with only 377 average defense yards and 59 touchdowns allowed. Troy Aikman believes that a better defense over offense plays a more important role in a team’s success.

With that, the former quarterback also asserted confidence in the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator, Christian Parker, who won Super Bowl LIX with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.

“They can only get better,” said Aikman in the aforementioned conversation. “And it’s early, I understand that, but I do like the hire of Christian Parker. I think sometimes you bring in a young assistant who is getting his opportunity after having coached under some really good people over the course of his career. He comes in with a good resume. All indications are that the players are excited about it.”

Heading into the 2026 season, the Cowboys have made major defensive additions. EDGE Rashan Gary, Safety Caleb Downs, LB Dee Winters, and EDGE Malachi Lawrence stand as some of the top signings. It seems that the Cowboys are on a similar path to what Aikman has attributed to a successful NFL season.

This is a developmental story. Stay tuned for more updates.

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