While the Dallas Cowboys are potentially one giant move away from competing for a Super Bowl, some are already counting them out for 2026.
Mike Brown from The Athletic ranked the 18 non-playoff teams that are most likely to rebound in the 2026 season. It was a weird NFL season to say the least, with the Chiefs, Bengals, Ravens, and Lions all missing the tournament. All those teams have been among the NFL's blue bloods for the past few seasons.
Brown ranked the Cowboys at No. 9, which is in the middle of the pack among teams already expected to have a strong bounce-back season in 2026.
"Jerry Jones did make moves to upgrade the interior of the defensive line, but the Cowboys still badly need impactful pass rushers and reinforcements at linebacker and cornerback," Brown wrote. "Is one draft and free agency a window of opportunity enough to get that defense right?"
The Athletic doesn't think highly of the Dallas Cowboys heading into 2026
Brown also called Eberflus’ defense “atrocious.” While the Quinnen Williams trade is already aging like fine wine, the lack of teaching and sticking to a zone scheme wasn't enough to mask the Cowboys’ other glaring issues. Even if Dallas busts the budget for someone like Maxx Crosby, it won’t solve everything. They still need reinforcements in the secondary.
The Cowboys had to rely on Trevon Diggs, who seemed checked out before he was even released late in the season.
Starting safeties Donovan Wilson (free agent) and Malik Hooker (possible cap casualty) may not be back with the Cowboys, as their futures remain highly uncertain thanks to defensive staff changes. Kenneth Murray, who played 870 total snaps, is as good as gone, too.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and fellow Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles have been projected to Dallas in many mock drafts. Either player would be great, as the Cowboys need better tackling and better pass coverage, and just better players.
The Cowboys checked in at No. 10 in Brown’s rankings, just ahead of the New Orleans Saints. While the Saints are building around young quarterback Tyler Shough, they have far more work to do than Dallas to engineer a rebound. Being slotted only one spot ahead of New Orleans won’t exactly inspire confidence among Cowboys fans.
Just because one person feels that way doesn't make it true, but it's clear that the Cowboys need to go out and prove that they have what it takes to make the playoffs. They've lost any benefit of the doubt.