Dallas Cowboys: 15 greatest quarterbacks in franchise history

Considered the first true star quarterback in Dallas history, ‘Dandy’ Don Meredith was with the franchise from their inception in 1960 through the 1968 NFL season. While he was unable to beat out veteran Eddie LeBaron early in his career, Meredith did end up becoming the starter by his fourth year in the NFL.

Once he took over, the franchise slowly started to turn things around. By 1966, he led them to their first winning season — while also earning a playoff berth. Sadly, he suffered two awful losses in the playoffs, as he wasn’t able to knock off the Green Bay Packers after they made the postseason in 1966 and then was under center for the infamous “Ice Bowl” of 1967.

One of the grittier players of his era, Meredith became a fan favorite for his style of play and for the fact that he finally turned Dallas into a winner. He never won a Super Bowl or played in one, but he did get the team on the map and started a winning tradition that fans still expect to be upheld to this day.

‘Dandy Don’ is fifth in passing yardage in Dallas history with 17,199 and added 135 touchdowns. He was 47-32-4 as the starter and continued to make his mark even after retiring. Meredith served with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell as a member of one of the best Monday Night Football broadcasting crews of all time.