Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott reacts during a practice drill at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Cowboys get surprising label entering 2025 NFL season with low expectations

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 8:43 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025-26 NFL season after a disappointing campaign in 2024, with the team being forced to battle through a flurry of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball.

During the offseason and NFL draft, Dallas was able to revamp its roster, and with a new coaching staff there is no telling what to expect from the team.

For once, expectations are low in Dallas, so the team has an opportunity to surprise a lot of people throughout the year.

Mike Jones of The Athletic shared his thoughts on the most overrated and underrated teams in the league and the Cowboys earned the distinction of being one of the four most underrated teams entering the season.

"The running back position remains underwhelming. As a whole, expectations aren’t very high outside of the organization," Jones writes.

"But the healthy return of Dak Prescott could dramatically improve an offense that floundered without him last season. The pairing of George Pickens with holdover CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and tight end Jake Ferguson could make it hard for defenses to key on any one weapon — as long as Pickens can carry himself with maturity. A rebound from last year’s 7-10 record and contention with Washington for a playoff spot behind Philadelphia might not be out of the question."

The impact Pickens makes on offense will be a real tone-setter for the team and will be key to a major turnaround. Then, once the defense gets healthy, it will be interesting to see how the unit comes together.

Dallas may not be expected to contend for the division title or to make a deep run, but the pieces are in place for the team to make a major step forward in 2025.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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