Dallas Cowboys Predicted to Reclaim NFC East Crown in 2026

The Dallas Cowboys won just seven games in each of the past two seasons but their offseason moves have them in line to reclaim the NFC East.

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott greets Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

During their first season under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the Dallas Cowboys finished with a record of 7-9-1, leaving them outside of the playoff picture for the second year in a row.

Despite the low win total, there was plenty of hope this offseason for a couple of reasons. One is the impressive performance of their offense, which returns all 11 starters. That includes breakout stars George Pickens and Javonte Williams who were both free agents heading into the offseason.

The other reason for hope is the work they did to fix their defense. The Cowboys hired Christian Parker to take over as the defensive coordinator, taking a valuable assistant away from the Philadelphia Eagles in the process. They also reshaped their roster by trading for Rashan Gary, signing Jalen Thompson, and selecting Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the 2026 NFL draft.

Dallas Cowboys capture NFC East title in latest prediction

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer reacts during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

All their additions have SI.com's Gilberto Manzano predicting a 10-7 record for the Cowboys, which would give Schottenheimer his first winning season as a head coach. Manzano also sees the Eagles regressing, predicting they finish behind the new NFC East champion Cowboys with a record of 8-9.

"With all the defensive upgrades, that should be enough to get the Cowboys back in the postseason after failing to advance the past two seasons," Manzano wrote. "Yes, they’re still missing an elite edge rusher, but safety Caleb Downs could be a star in his rookie year, and the pass-rushing rotation should be drastically better with the additions of Rashan Gary and Malachi Lawrence, the team’s other first-round pick in April."

Eagles have had more uncertainty than Cowboys this offseason

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown misses a catch against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Wild Card Round game. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While Dallas has had plenty of positive news this offseason, the Eagles have been the ones with some drama. Star receiver A.J. Brown has seemed unhappy for a couple of years now, and Manzano predicts he will be gone after June 1.

Should that happen, they will be asking a lot from rookie Makai Lemon. The Cowboys, however, don't seem too concerned about Lemon, considering they made the trade allowing the Eagles to select the USC product.

There are also concerns about Jalen Hurts, who continues to struggle with consistency. Should all this lead to some struggles in 2026, the Cowboys are in prime position to take advantage.

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