BREAKING: Troy Aikman Calls Out Jerry Jones
Troy Aikman is putting the blame where it belongs.
Troy Aikman did not hold back on the Dallas Cowboys’ long title drought. The Hall of Fame quarterback clearly stated that owner Jerry Jones was at fault. He spoke recently on the Dallas Dialogue with Dale podcast.
Aikman won three Super Bowls with Dallas in the 1990s. He never expected the 1995 title to stand as the last one. The Cowboys have not reached an NFC Championship Game since then.
“Cowboys fans deserve better,” Aikman said. “This is the Cowboys, the flagship franchise, and the fact that the Cowboys in 30 years have not made it to a championship game, let alone a Super Bowl, it’s hard to fathom.”
Troy Aikman Calls the Drought Unacceptable
Troy Aikman. Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Aikman finds the lack of progress hard to understand. Parity lets other teams rise quickly in the NFL. Yet, the Cowboys, despite having ambitious plans every season, stay stuck year after year. Aikman points to the need for real change at the top.
“To me, you have to make changes in how you’re doing it, if for three decades you haven’t made an NFC Championship Game,” he stated. “It’s just unacceptable.”
He notes the franchise has only four playoff wins across those 30 years. Regular-season success never carries over in January.
Jerry Jones serves as both owner and general manager. Aikman argues this structure creates the problem. Jones has said no one can guarantee a new GM would improve results.
“If that’s your philosophy, then you’d never fire the head coach either,” he explained. “You’d never make any changes because there are no guarantees whatsoever.”
Troy Aikman Credits Jimmy Johnson for Past Success
Dec 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talks to former head coach Jimmy Johnson during the Ring of Honor ceremony during half of the game against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Aikman added to the never-ending debate on who was behind the Cowboys’ success in the 1990s. He credited former coach Jimmy Johnson. Jones fired Johnson after the coach sought more personnel control.
“He knows why we won with Jimmy Johnson,” Aikman said. “Every player in that locker room felt, and I think knew, that Jimmy was calling the shots.”
Johnson evaluated talent and held players accountable. He acted as the true general manager in many ways. Barry Switzer later won the final title of that era.
Nothing similar has followed under Jones’s full control.
Aikman now consults for the Miami Dolphins while calling Monday Night Football. He still roots for Dallas but demands better results. The Hall of Famer wants accountability. He believes the current path has failed for too long. Fans of America’s Team keep waiting for a true championship run after three decades of failures.
