Jerry Jones and Cowboys’ championship drought becomes harder to ignore as Spurs shine again — here’s why originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have not returned to the NFC Championship Game since January, 1996, when they defeated the Green Bay Packers 38-27 before going on to win Super Bowl XXX. More than three decades have passed since that win, and throughout that span the franchise has repeatedly fallen short of advancing beyond the Divisional Round.
In that exact same window, the San Antonio Spurs continued evolving their journeys. After the Cowboys’ last NFC Championship appearance, the Spurs selected Tim Duncan with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. Over the following two decades, the basketball team reached six NBA Finals, won five championships, and established themselves as a model of consistency. They also put together a phenomenal streak of 18 straight 50-win seasons.
Duncan retired in 2016, Manu Ginobili followed in 2018, and Tony Parker departed for Charlotte that same offseason. Around the same time, tensions with Kawhi Leonard resulted in a blockbuster trade, which ultimately forced the Spurs into a full-scale rebuild.
That rebuilding process hit its lowest point during the 2022-23 season when the Spurs finished with a 22-60 record. However, the difficult season paid off when the organization secured the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and selected Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs also witnessed a big coaching change as Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich eventually stepped away, with Mitch Johnson taking over during the 2024-25 season. The Spurs displayed signs of progress, but they ended that campaign with a 34-48 record in the Western Conference.
However, Wembanyama’s squad vaulted from 34 wins to a blistering 62-20 record in the 2025-26 season. They have now returned to the NBA’s biggest stage and are preparing for an NBA Finals showdown against the New York Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have gone 5-13 in the postseason across 30 years. The 2025 NFL season was an incredibly frustrating and disappointing year for them, as they had a 7–9–1 record and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
As the Spurs celebrate a dramatic return to championship contention, the Cowboys are still trying to end a decades-long drought. Jones, who saw the Cowboys winning three Super Bowl titles as owner and general manager, remains hopeful that the franchise can eventually reverse its fortunes and return to the NFL’s elite tier.
More NFL news:
- Michael Irvin drops ominous warning about Cowboys rookie after big bear hug
- Dak Prescott and Cowboys face nightmare scenario as rival team acquires 23-sack superstar
- Lamar Jackson has an obvious reason not to sign right now
- Super Bowl-winning Cowboys star doubles down on faith in Dak Prescott’s breakout potential in 2026 – here’s why
- There’s a risk the OBJ signing is a mistake