The Cowboys' offense was elite last season, but I have three reasons as to why the unit can't be assumed to be as good in 2026.
All offseason, the narrative has been that all eyes are on the defense and Christian Parker.
What can the defense do to help support what is expected to be an elite offense again?
But are we getting ahead of ourselves when it comes to Dak Prescott and the offense in thinking it's a sure thing they'll be elite?
The fact that the offense has merely been a second thought suggests that most fans and media personalities are expecting the Cowboys to again be one of the best offenses in football
They have the quarterback, a top run game, and CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens as the top weapons. Plus, the offensive line should be better than last season based on pure progression.
But I've got three reasons why the offense might not be as prolific as it was last season, or at least something to think about when it comes to assuming Dallas will be elite on offense.
Let's get to it.
Prescott's health
Last season, Prescott played all 17 games and was one of the best quarterbacks in football.
The thing is, Dak hasn't had the best of runs with injuries over the past handful of years. In fact, just twice in the last four years has he played every regular-season game, and he hasn't done it in consecutive years since 2018 and 2019.
That's a big problem.
Prescott maintaining his health in 2026 is perhaps the biggest storyline to watch. We know when he's healthy, Dallas, more often than not, is a playoff team.
But can we bank on Dak, who is 32, soon-to-be 33 years old, to play a full season?
Color me skeptical on that.
Will Pickens back up career year?
Part of what made the offense so elite last season was Pickens obliterating defenses on a weekly basis.
But doing it in back-to-back seasons is tough.
He posted 1,429 yards and 9 TDs in 2025. What sort of numbers can we expect from George if he plays? Another 1,000-yard season?
The offense was so tough to plan for because both Lamb and Pickens torched defenses routinely, but if Pickens doesn't come to the party in 2026, that could make the passing game less effective.
Am I saying it will happen? No, but Pickens, who is on the franchise tag (how that impacts him is a watch too), needs to show last year wasn't a flash in the pan.
There were no expectations for him in his first year as a Cowboy. But now, everyone expects him to be like Lamb and be "the" guy for Dak.
Javonte Williams' regression?
One thing we know about running backs is that they have a short shelf life in the NFL, and for Javonte, 2025 was a career year, posting 1,201 yards and 11 TDs.
His power running, coupled with surprising elusiveness, gave the Cowboys a top-10 run game for Dak to lean on.
Can that be replicated?
Williams had the most carries of his career in 2025, and that was largely due to Dallas not having an adequate backup.
The Cowboys need a dependable run game, but can Williams maintain his level of play in 2026? He's going to have to if Dallas is to make a playoff run.
But another 1,000-yard, double-digit touchdown year? Let's see if Javonte can back it up, because so much is set up for the Cowboys to build off of a stout run game.
