The Dallas Cowboys are heading into 2026 with a different kind of energy around them. The usual noise is still there, because it always is in Dallas, but this time the conversation is centered more on football than contract drama.
That shift matters. The Cowboys no longer have to spend their time sweating over star players and extension talk, and even the minicamp tension around George Pickens eased once he reported after being franchise tagged. With training camp closing in, Dallas finally has a cleaner runway.
Former NFL receiver Harry Douglas thinks that matters enough to push the Cowboys into serious territory. While appearing on ESPN’s First Take, he made a bold call: Dallas is a Super Bowl contender.
"I am not one of these analysts that come on TV every single year, 'Oh the Dallas Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders.' But ladies and gentlemen, I have the Dallas Cowboys for 2026 being Super Bowl contenders," Douglas said.
There’s logic behind the optimism. Dallas already had one of the NFL’s better offenses, but the defense was the side that kept dragging the whole operation down. The Cowboys moved on from Matt Eberflus and brought in Christian Parker as defensive coordinator, a hire that also pulled an ascending coaching mind away from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Parker won’t be working with a blank slate. Dallas added serious volume to that side of the ball, starting with No. 11 overall pick Caleb Downs out of Ohio State. He’s joined by rookie EDGE Malachi Lawrence and linebacker Jaishawn Barham.
The veteran additions were just as busy. The Cowboys brought in Rashan Gary at EDGE, Dee Winters at linebacker, Cobie Durant at cornerback, and Jalen Thompson at safety.
Nobody is calling this group elite yet. But the expectation is that the defense can at least become competent, and if that happens, the offense gives Dallas a real chance to hang with anybody in the NFC.
Douglas also pointed to the division as the biggest complication. He said all four NFC East teams can make a case to win it, which is exactly the kind of problem Dallas does not want waiting for them every week.
The Eagles are the defending champions. The Commanders had a rough 2025, but they reached the NFC championship game the year before.
And the Giants added John Harbaugh as head coach, bringing in someone with Super Bowl experience. That makes the division a minefield, and it could end up being the Cowboys’ biggest obstacle.
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