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Is Jerry Jones Dream Dead?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Anthony Goss | Last updated Jan 3, 2025 6:55 PM ET

FRISCO — Last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles presented a very sobering reality for the Dallas Cowboys. Hoping to play spoiler after being eliminated from playoff contention, their arch rival thumped them 41-7 after they had won four of their last five games.

That defeat seemed a reflection of the team's tumultuous 2024 season. No matter how well they masked their scars and flaws at any point, this team was bound for letdown from the start.

Our Mike Fisher has revealed the Cowboys' "blow it up" plans though that strategy now has some issues. But the team has shown their loyalty to head coach Mike McCarthy in these final weeks, making his status heading into the offseason a complete unknown.

But feeding a narrative of a lame-duck coach and pivoting last second leaves Jerry Jones and the Cowboys in an awkward situation. That prompted former Eagles and Cleveland Browns president Joe Banner to chime in on the current situation.

"Jer’s dream of winning a SB is dead without major changes. Look at top teams HC & coordinators, almost all better than Dallas. KC, Detroit, Bills, Ravens, Vikings, Eagles all much better," he wrote on X.

In defense of McCarthy and the Jones team, the injury woes of this season cannot be understated. The Cowboys lost essentially all their top talent for an extended period of time.

Even with the success the teams mentioned have had this season, it is hard to imagine any NFL team competing for a postseason berth with the specific losses the Cowboys dealt with this season.

But back to Jerry's "dream," Banner - who may have a bias here as a long-time Cowboys enemy - is correct about the openness to change. That does not immediately mean getting rid of McCarthy, but it speaks more to committing to decisions that have winning front and center.

If McCarthy is not the coach to lead that mission, they need to find the candidate who can fulfill that role. As far as coordinators, Dallas needs hires that will put their core of talent in positions to succeed.

Making that commitment is vital for the coming years of this franchise with all their bets on Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and presumably Micah Parsons to lead the charge on the field.

Altogether, this means putting a little ego aside to go all in through the next few years. Whether or not Jerry is willing to do that will decide the Cowboys' offseason.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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