We'll shy away from the way-too-easy joke about his size here, but Shaquille O'Neal has long been one of the Dallas Cowboys' biggest fans. And much like the way he approaches everything, he's never been shy about expressing that fandom. He's even gone as far as to joke that legendary Dallas defensive end Ed "Too Tall" Jones, who stood 6-foot-9, was his biological father.
Like every fan of America's Team, O'Neal is hoping the upcoming 2025 NFL season is finally the one in which the Cowboys capture a sixth Lombardi Trophy. The franchise's last Super Bowl victory, of course, came at the conclusion of the 1995 campaign. That same season was also the last time Dallas appeared in the NFC Championship Game, making them the only NFC franchise not to have appeared in a conference title game since the turn of the century.
The Cowboys will begin their attempt at a sixth title in the very first game of the regular season on Thursday, September 4, when they travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
And Shaq is so confident in the Cowboys winning that Week 1 matchup, he's willing to wear a dress at his restaurant at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas if they don't as part of a wager with his The Big Podcast co-host Adam Lefkoe.
Shaq has to wear a dress if the Cowboys lose Week 1 🤣
— The Big Podcast (@bigpodwithshaq) August 5, 2025
Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and sign up using promo code BIGPOD – the crown is yours. pic.twitter.com/1ty9SbrOuw
Initially, it sounded as if O'Neal was ready to make the bet on the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl before Lefkoe changed things up. Nevertheless, it's an entertaining wager.
The Eagles, of course, swept the Cowboys a season ago, first taking a 34-6 victory at AT&T Stadium in Week 10 and then a 41-7 win in Philly in Week 17. Yeah, it was ugly.
It's important to note, however, that Dak Prescott didn't appear in either game, as he suffered his season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 in a 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. And the Philadelphia defense took full advantage the following week, holding Cooper Rush to an embarrassing 45 yards. The Cowboys' offense as a whole gained only 146 total yards that afternoon.
The Dallas offense fared better in Week 17, gaining 268 total yards, but still put just seven points on the scoreboard in a dreadful 34-point loss.
The last time Prescott was on the field against the Eagles came back in Week 14 of the 2023 campaign, a game during which he completed 24 of 39 passes for 271 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in leading the Cowboys to an easy 33-13 victory.
Barring an injury during training camp, Dak will be under center in Week 1, and Shaq will undoubtedly hoping for a repeat performance of that 2023 matchup.