Dallas Cowboys legend Troy Aikman is already looking ahead to the 2026 season, and he's got a clear message for fans: the defense can't get any worse after a historically bad 2025 campaign.
Speaking on ESPN's Get Up, the Hall of Fame quarterback offered his first impressions of the team's prospects under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who enters his second year at the helm. The Cowboys open the season on Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants, while Aikman will be in the booth the following night for a Monday Night Football clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.
But naturally, the conversation turned to his old team, which stumbled to a 7-10 record last season after three straight 12-win years. The defense was the biggest culprit, surrendering an NFL-worst 30.1 points per game following the shocking preseason trade of Micah Parsons.
Dallas responded by firing defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and bringing in Christian Parker, a young assistant who won a Super Bowl as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive backs coach. Aikman likes the move.
“They can only get better,” Aikman said. “And it’s early, I understand that, but I do like the hire of Christian Parker. I think sometimes you bring in a young assistant who is getting his opportunity after having coached under some really good people over the course of his career. He comes in with a good resume. All indications are that the players are excited about it.”
The Cowboys used their two first-round picks on defenders—Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 and UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23—then added veterans Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant, and P.J. Locke to the secondary in free agency. That overhaul has Aikman cautiously optimistic.
“I think what they’ve done, starting with the draft, to address some of the needs of the defensive side has been positive,” he said. The front office has maintained there are no regrets on the Parsons trade, insisting the rebuild was necessary.
While the defense gets a makeover, the offense quietly put up monster numbers in 2025. Only the Los Angeles Rams gained more yards than Dallas, and quarterback Dak Prescott had one of his best seasons, alongside career years from wide receiver George Pickens and running back Javonte Williams. But Aikman wonders if that level of production can be sustained—and whether it even should be.
“Can that offense continue to play at the level that they did last year? That’s a big if,” Aikman said. “It was one of Dak Prescott’s best years. It was George Pickens’ career year. It was Javonte Williams’ career year. There was a lot that happened on the offensive side of the ball.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion suggested that if the defense improves, the offensive stats might actually decline—and that would be a good thing.
“The numbers may not look as good. In fact, I think if you’re a Cowboys fan, you hope the offensive numbers don’t look as good,” Aikman surmised. “Because that would then mean that the defense is better and playing a much bigger role in the success of that team.”
For a franchise that hasn't reached the NFC Championship Game since 1995, the formula is simple: stop the bleeding on defense and let the offense do enough. Aikman, who knows a thing or two about winning in Dallas, believes that balance is the only path back to relevance.
