Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith details why his former team lacks identity (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Emmitt Smith says “there are a lot of things that need to be corrected” with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys are coming off of a rough season at 7-10 and are going through an overhaul of sorts. Dallas parted ways with Mike McCarthy as head coach, who had previously led the Cowboys to three consecutive 12-win seasons. However, the franchise has been unable to crack the glass ceiling with McCarthy as head coach, going 1-3 in the playoffs before the bottom fell out this season.
Dallas has since hired their offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer as head coach. While Smith didn't sound overly excited over the hire — big names such as Kellen Moore and Deion Sanders were linked to the job — the NFL's all-time rushing leader says the Cowboys don't have a simple fix.
While some have linked Dallas native and Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty to the Cowboys at the 12th overall pick in the draft, Smith says Dallas has “bigger problems” than just the run game.
“I think if they do that, they hurt themselves,” said Smith in a one-on-one interview with RG, where he mentioned of the possibility of the Cowboys taking Jeanty at No. 12. “No disrespect to Ashton Jeanty, but at the end of the day, we have bigger problems than just having a running game.”
As Smith clarifies, it's no disrespect to Jeanty. The 21-year-old running back is coming off of a stat-filled season at Boise State, where he ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. The fit makes sense considering Dallas absolutely struggled to establish a run game during the 2024 season, finishing last in rushing touchdowns, 30th in yards per attempt and 29th in rushing yards.
However, Smith is hammering home that there are deeper issues in Dallas than just the lack of run game.
“Everybody thinks that he's [Jeanty] the answer to everything or Derek Henry was the answer to everything,” said Smith.
“You still have the same offensive line, you still have the same old offensive mentality. Regardless of whether or not you have Derrick Henry back there or Ashley Jeanty, there are a lot of things that need to be corrected. I think it begins with the philosophy of the organization.”
The Cowboys were dominated in the trenches during the 2024 season, not only lacking a running game on offense, but also ranking 29th in rushing yards, 30th in yards per attempt and last in rushing touchdowns on defense.
The biggest problem that the Cowboys face is they lack an identity — they don't know who they are as a team or what their strengths are.
It's no secret that the Cowboys have struggled to achieve postseason success since the franchise's heyday, with Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin leading the way. The Hall of Fame trio led the franchise to three Super Bowl victories in the 90's. However, the Cowboys haven't advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl during the 1995 season.
Smith speaks passionately about his former franchise, wanting the Cowboys to get back to what once made them great back in the 90's.
“Go through the 90's and see what made that team and organization so special,” said Smith. “We've gotten away from the true brand of who we are. When you think about the Pittsburgh Steelers, you think about hard-nosed, hardworking, you think about the city of Pittsburgh itself and what they stand for. That's how they play football. When you think about Baltimore, it's the same way.”
We'll see if the Cowboys are able to right the ship next season. Having quarterback Dak Prescott back in the fold healthy will undoubtedly bring stability to the offense, but the pressure is on for the Cowboys to start winning games in January after seeing their top two rivals from within the division, the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, represent the NFC in the conference championship game.
“When you think about those organizations that has the football paralysis and the football brands,” Smith continued to say. “They had something that the organization built off of, and it's part of their history, it's part of their tradition. We've gotten away from some of those things and a commitment to that identity.”
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