It Is Okay To Be Excited About the Dallas Cowboys

On Sunday night, Von Miller signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys. That, in itself, is a massive deal. Miller is coming off a nine-sack year at age 36. The Cowboys sack leader last year? Jadeveon Clowney at 8.5. It’s a roster move that helps bolster a pass rush that wasn’t very potent last year.

That’s what will make the front page. What won’t will be the fact that there was zero fanfare about this until it happened. Jerry Jones didn’t come out and make a story about going to get him. There wasn’t even a massive stir among Cowboy talking heads. No rumors connected the two.

The Dallas Cowboys saw an opportunity to get better and did it, without fanfare. It seems small, but Cowboys fans post-90s aren’t used to it. There’s no smoke and mirrors around the 2026 version of Big D. It is finally ok to be excited about the Dallas Cowboys.

Showcasing Championship Pedigree

The Von Miller signing is the culmination of a process that’s been brewing for about a year.

Before 2025, Cowboys fans got used to smoke and mirrors. Jones would promise aggressive free agency, stirring up excitement around the fanbase all summer long. Then, a few fringe signings later, that same fanbase would be left disappointed and distraught going into the season.

Look at the great organizations not just in the NFL, but in sports. From the Rams to the Eagles to the Dodgers and the Celtics, the best don’t make promises they can’t keep.

Keeping Promises

In 2025, the Cowboys started to take steps to do the same. They had assurance in their hiring of Brian Schottenheimer, then struck a brilliant deal to land George Pickens. The hiring of OC Klayton Adams came sometime in between. Those decisions turned into a 1.5k yard receiver and one of the best offenses in football last year.

Now, of course, they weren’t perfect.

They did drag out the Micah Parsons saga, eventually leading to a trade that was inexplicable then and inexplicable now. They also hired Matt Eberflus, a decision that was questioned in real time and horrible in hindsight. In fact, most even hated the process they used to get their new head coach.

However, the Cowboys of 5-10 years ago would’ve just lied in the bed they made. The Cowboys of today went out and immediately fixed those issues. Quinnen Williams was picked up from the Jets midseason. That didn’t change things much, so in the offseason, Dallas shipped Eberflus out and brought in Christian Parker, the best DC candidate on the market.

Then, there’s the Miller signing. One of the best pass rushers ever, with Super Bowl pedigree and enough legs still underneath him to bolster a troubled pass rush. This skit from Landon Holifield sums it up perfectly.

The only thing not mentioned is that, with the old Cowboys, the Jones family probably would have been at his introductory presser. Dallas is finally operating like the teams they’ve been chasing for decades. No empty promises, no front office hype, just doing the important things and swinging for the fences when required.

A Product To Celebrate

The 2026 Dallas Cowboys have reversed the narrative surrounding their team for decades. They have a product that no one can argue is worth the national press they typically receive.

Dak Prescott is among the elite. His pass catchers—Lamb, Pickens, and sneakily Ryan Flournoy, to name a few—are top tier. Defensively, they’ve overhauled the unit with signings like Miller, Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant. They have a steady coaching staff that’s a bit more battle-tested going into 2026.

Oh, and they got the steal of the draft in Caleb Downs.

Miller said it himself when he joined the team: “Winning a championship is the No. 1 goal”.

He could’ve gone to Seattle, LA or New England to achieve that. The Broncos, who he built most of his HOF career with, were also just in the AFC title game—he could’ve returned there. Miller didn’t just choose Dallas for a homecoming. He sees it, too—the Dallas Cowboys now have the talent, leaders and proper support to make a championship run.

So yes, it is okay to be excited about the Dallas Cowboys now. They’ve given Cowboys fans reason to be excited.