The Cowboys have the offense to win it all, and with an improved defense, it might be all on the 2026 season to reach the NFL's penultimate game.
The hype train for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason has been full steam ahead after the moves the franchise has made.
Several shrewd free agency signings for new coordinator Christian Parker, along with Caleb Downs as the draft centerpiece, all point to an improved defensive unit that was the worst in football last season.
Then we look over at the offense, and everyone of note returns, with George Pickens playing on the franchise tag, Dak Prescott has one of the best receiver tandems in football.
Plus, all five starting offensive linemen return, along with Javonte Williams, who is coming off a career year, and tight end Jake Ferguson, who found the end zone eight times in 2025.
So, you can make the case that Dak and the Cowboys, offensively at least, have everything they need to go on a playoff run...but the defense just has to be average for it to all work.
But don't think that Dak will have a couple of seasons to win his first Super Bowl; his best chance might be this year.
Why? Well, as Harry Douglas, who was on ESPN's GetUp, explains, Pickens might not be with the Cowboys in 2027.
"If you're Dak Prescott, you have to say to yourself, this is our opportunity to cash in," Douglas said. "When you look at the NFC East, I believe all four teams could win the NFC East. This is the perfect opportunity, in my opinion, for Dak Prescott, but you don't want to squander that opportunity because most likely, you're not going to have George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb (as a tandem) next year.
"So, you want to cash in and take advantage of this situation while you have it in your hands."
Now, for most, the belief is that George will be on a different team next season, but that is far from a sure thing. He might turn around and take a discount (although I highly doubt it).
But if we follow Douglas' line of thought, is 2026 Dak's best chance to at least get to the Super Bowl? Who knows what the roster turnover will be next season, and without Lamb and Pickens, the Cowboys' offense loses major juice and likely isn't seen as a big threat anymore.
Defensively, Parker's unit will likely improve again in 2027, if we had to take a calculated guess, but I doubt it will overtake the offense as the franchise's driving force.
So, is it really all-in on the 2026 season for Prescott? Right now, it's hard to say, but if the Cowboys don't get it done with the talent assembled on offense, it might be harder to make a case for Dallas without Pickens in the lineup.
