It’s the question that’s haunted Cowboys fans for a generation: Why hasn’t America’s Team been back to the Super Bowl in nearly three decades? For a franchise that dominated the 1990s and became synonymous with star power, the drought has stretched on painfully, and the latest reminder came from Pro Football Focus, of all places.
PFF’s Jonathon Macri recently released an All-25 Team, highlighting the best players of the past quarter-century as the 2025 season approaches. For Dallas, the only representation was recently retired right guard Zack Martin, and even he didn’t make the starting lineup. Martin earned an honorable mention behind Marshal Yanda, the former Ravens All-Pro lineman. That’s right. No DeMarcus Ware. No Tyron Smith. No Jason Witten.
It’s not that the Cowboys haven’t had stars. Since the beginning of PFF’s grading era in 2006, Dallas has consistently fielded elite talent. Ware was a sack machine and the face of the defense for years. Witten was as steady as they come at tight end. Tyron Smith, when healthy, was among the most dominant left tackles of his time. And Martin was nothing short of a technician in the trenches. But that’s the thing, the Cowboys have been built on individual brilliance, while the teams winning titles have been built on balance, timing, and adaptability.
Front office inconsistency. Untimely coaching changes. Injuries. Quarterback injuries. And let’s be honest, a fair share of bad luck. It’s all added up to a generation of “what ifs” in Dallas. Players come and go, accolades pile up, and still the ultimate prize stays out of reach.
Martin’s quiet placement on the PFF list doesn’t just reflect his own greatness, it underlines a pattern. The Cowboys have had top-tier players. What they haven’t had is a top-tier team at the right time.
Thirty years in the making, the drought continues and until the Cowboys figure out how to turn elite names into elite results when it matters most, lists like this will keep serving as a mirror, and a reminder.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Have the Cowboys had any player good enough to be on the All-2000s team? PFF says no
Reporting by Ali Jawad, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
