Cowboys Won't Be Trusted Until They Win Like Mahomes and Brady, Stephen Jones Says

Dallas Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones knows the fanbase is fed up, and he doesn't blame them.

Jones addressed the team's playoff failures, saying he hopes to regain the trust of fans moving forward.

"We have had three good years of 12-5 and we have had major disappointments in the postseasons," Jones told reporters at the Senior Bowl. "So until we do something about it, which is go have another great year and have success in the playoffs, that's going to be there. There's no way they're going to explicitly trust you until you get it done. Would someone trust Tom Brady and the Patriots that they're going to get it done? Yeah. Why? Because they did it, year in and year out. Does someone trust Mahomes and Kansas City that they're going to do it? Yeah. Why? Because they do it — six years in a row they're in the championship game. Until we compete at that level and we get the job done, then there's going to be doubt, and rightfully so."

The Cowboys have made the playoffs three straight seasons but posted a 1-3 record over that timeframe. The franchise has not reached an NFC Conference Championship Game since winning Super Bowl XXX more than a quarter-century ago.

Coaches, players and executives have all shuffled through Dallas over that timeframe, but the mainstay has been the presence of the Jones family. Owner Jerry Jones remains the final decision-maker on all football decisions, with Stephen often serving as his right-hand man. There has been no indication that either Jones plans on taking a step back with the franchise, either.

Coach Mike McCarthy, whose job status was in question after the Cowboys' Wild Card loss to the Green Bay Packers, will return next season on the final year of his contract. The same may wind up happening with quarterback Dak Prescott, who once again had his turnover woes pop up against Green Bay.

Jerry Jones said he plans on the Cowboys being "all in" on the 2024 season.

"I would anticipate, with looking ahead at our key contracts that we'd like to address, we will be all in," Jones told reporters. "I would anticipate we will be all in at the end of this year. We will push the hell out of it. It will be going all in on different people than you've done in the past. We will be going all in. We've seen some things out of some of the players that we want to be all in on. Yes, I would say that you will see us this coming year not build for the future. It's the best way I've ever said. That ought to answer a lot of questions."

Fans may wonder why the organization did not consider itself "all in" on the 2023 season. Championship windows are finite, and the Cowboys have fumbled theirs for three straight years.