Troy Aikman Clarifies Cowboys Super Bowl Prediction

FRISCO - Now that the Dallas Cowboys schedule is officially out, everybody it seems has an opinion on it.

Legendary quarterback Troy Aikman made an appearance on ESPN Wednesday night to break down the network's slate of Monday Night Football games. He was also asked about the Cowboys as their schedule flashed on the screen.

But before analyzing their lineup of games, Aikman took time to clear up his shocking prediction earlier this week that his former team would win Super Bowl LX in February.

"Well, that was ... ya know ... people tend to get excited and overreact to everything these days," Aikman said. "I was half-joking because Michael Strahan was in the studio."

But while he did backpedal on the Cowboys winning the championship for the first time since he led them to Super Bowl XXX in 1996, Aikman doubled-down on them having a surprisingly successful season.

"I understand the Eagles are the cream of the crop and Washington will be better," he said. "But I do think Dallas has been flying under the radar this offseason and rightfully so. They don't deserve a lot of talk at this point. But I do believe that they're going to be ... not just because they were injured last year ... I think they're going to be a better football team this year and they may surprise some people. I know in Dallas there's always talk about a Super Bowl and, who knows, it's been a while as we know. But I do think they're going to contend and be stronger than they've probably gotten credit for at this point."

"Contend and be stronger" may not equate to winning a Super Bowl, or even the NFC East. But Aikman obviously expects more than seven wins from his former team.

And we also know this: Good or bad, the TV networks still love America's Team. Counting Thanksgiving against the Kansas City Chiefs and Christmas Day against the Washington Commanders, the Cowboys will play eight times when they are the only game on TV.