DALLAS — Terrell Owens does not see the Dallas Cowboys as a 2026 contender. He made that clear on Get TO The Point, the twice-weekly podcast he launched Sept. 1 with comedian Chris Spencer.
For Owens, being the Cowboys is not enough reason to put Dallas in that group.
“No. Why would they?” Owens said. “Just because they’re the Dallas Cowboys and everybody always says it.”
Dallas finished 7-9-1 last season, second in the NFC East and 12th in the conference. It was the second straight year the Cowboys missed the playoffs and the second straight losing record, the first back-to-back non-winning seasons for the franchise since 2000 through 2002.
Brian Schottenheimer went 7-9-1 in his first year as head coach. Mike McCarthy finished 7-10 in his last.
The 2023 season was the last time Dallas reached the playoffs. The Cowboys went 12-5, then lost 48-32 to the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium in the wild-card round. Their last postseason win was in January 2023 at Tampa Bay.
Terrell Owens’ Three Seasons In Dallas
Dallas was Owens’ home for three seasons. Jerry Jones signed him in March 2006, four days after the Philadelphia Eagles released him. The contract was for three years and $25 million, including a $5 million signing bonus.
Owens caught 85 passes for 1,180 yards in 2006 and led the NFL with 13 receiving touchdowns. The next season, he set a Cowboys record with 15 touchdown catches.
By the end of his 47 games with Dallas, Owens had 235 receptions, 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns. Dallas moved on from him March 5, 2009.
What Dallas Changed This Offseason
The defense demanded attention after Dallas allowed 511 points last season, the highest total in the NFL. The Cowboys allowed 377.0 yards per game, which ranked 30th, and 251.5 passing yards per game, which ranked last. Matt Eberflus lost his job as defensive coordinator in January, with Christian Parker taking over the position.
Trades brought Rashan Gary, Dee Winters, Jalen Thompson, and Cobie Durant to Dallas. The Cowboys then used the No. 11 pick on Caleb Downs, took Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 and added Jaishawn Barham in the third round. Von Miller signed in August for one year at $5.5 million, with the deal able to reach $7.5 million.
Jones had used the same question Owens did during training camp in Oxnard, California, although he was talking about outside expectations for Dallas. In July, Jones said he liked that people were not viewing the Cowboys as a Super Bowl contender.
“Why would you?” Jones said.
He later talked about the urgency to win and said future assets were in play if a move could help the Cowboys now.
Dallas has not played in the NFC Championship Game since the 1995 season, which ended with a Super Bowl XXX win. There have been 13 playoff trips since then, with each one ending no later than the divisional round. In that time, every other NFC franchise has made at least one conference championship appearance.
Owens was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. He ranks third in NFL history in receiving yards with 15,934 and third in receiving touchdowns with 153.
Dallas begins the season Sunday, Sept. 13, on the ro
