The Dallas Cowboys have had quite the productive offseason, and when you take an aerial look at the NFC East, it's not hard to see that the team could win the division in the 2026 NFL Season.
The Cowboys were in striking distance at one point in 2025, as they were 6-5-1 through 12 games, while the Philadelphia Eagles were 8-4 and not necessarily running away with the division at that point.
Dallas has a realistic chance to recapture the division title in Brian Schottenheimer's second season on the job as the head coach, and we dove into the three biggest reasons why that is the case here.
Dallas Cowboys have a few reasons why the NFC East title is attainable in 2026
1. Dak Prescott is the best QB in the division
This should not be a bold take at all. Dak Prescott has been the best quarterback in the NFC East for years now, as he does the most important things better than the others. In 2025, Prescott tossed 30 touchdowns and over 4,500 yards for a stellar 99.5 passer rating
Jalen Hurts threw for 25 touchdown passes and only 3,224 yards. Jayden Daniels wasn't able to stay on the field for more than seven games, so he only finished with seven touchdowns and 1,262 yards. Jaxson Dart, in 14 games, threw for 15 touchdowns and 2,272 yards.
Dallas' scoring offense was the best in the division by far, and when you assess what makes quarterbacks great in this league, Prescott's name comes up frequently. He is elite at winning from the pocket. He can make all the throws on the field, has functional dual-threat ability, and also has the longest track record of producing at the position.
Typically, the best quarterback does win the division most years, and while Dallas did finish with a losing record in 2025, it was obviously not because of Prescott. He has four separate seasons of at least 30 touchdown passes, and has a 90+ passer rating in all but two seasons of his 10-year career.
2. Roster concerns/unknowns of the Cowboys' rivals
While the Cowboys have their own roster concerns, so do the Commanders, Eagles, and Giants.
For starters, Washington won just five games last year and dealt with a ton of injuries, but on paper, this team is missing high-end talent. On offense, the Commanders don't have anyone close to the tier of CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens. Their best player might just be Laremy Tunsil. The front office did spend a ton in free agency, but there isn't a direct correlation between spending a lot in the offseason and enjoying great success the following season.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, shipped A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots, so their explosive X receiver is out of the picture, removing a four-time 1,000-yard offensive piece. Hurts is a limited passer himself, and other key pieces like Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert are both getting up there in age. The Eagles' defense should be sound, but it has big question marks at safety.
New York is in a similar boat - you can clearly see some good and great players, but the defense no longer has Dexter Lawrence, so that interior push is gone.
The running back room is uninspiring without a No. 1 option, wide receiver Malik Nabers' Week 1 status is up in the air, and while Dart did have an encouraging rookie season, a year two leap is far from guaranteed.
Dallas' roster concerns aren't significantly more urgent than those of their NFC East foes, so let's not exaggerate the roster situation. In fact, it's not hard to argue that the Cowboys have the best collection of talent in the division.
3. Massive defensive changes
The Cowboys had the seventh-best scoring offense in the NFL last season, but the 32nd-ranked scoring defense. There is reason to believe they can remain in that top-10 spot on offense, as their main contributors are all set to return.
And given how explosive the offense was, you're not asking a lot from the defense. In fact, there are some recent instances of Super Bowl champions sporting great offenses but average defenses. The 2022 Kansas City Chiefs, a team that won the Super Bowl, had the No. 1 scoring offense, but just the 16th-ranked scoring defense.
It was, by all accounts, an average defense and a great offense that created a Super Bowl-winning formula. In 2021, the Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams had the seventh-ranked scoring offense and the 15th-ranked scoring defense.
Is it a stretch for the Cowboys to sport an average defense? Not at all. Christian Parker is the defensive coordinator, and his Vic Fangio influences should alone be enough for positive change, but the personnel got upgraded as well.
Quinnen Williams is approaching his first full season with the Cowboys, and other key additions like Rashan Gary, Dee Winters, Cobie Durant, Jalen Thompson, and Caleb Downs should all be at least floor-raising players.
While you might be in the camp of wanting another body along the defensive front or even another linebacker, this defense is talented enough to simply not blow it, which was anything but the case in 2025.
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