Troy Aikman has a message for Dallas Cowboys fans: hope for a worse offense. The Hall of Famer believes a dip in scoring is the only way to signal the defensive turnaround the franchise desperately needs.

Aikman came to ESPN's Get Up show to analyze the Cowboys' 2025 offensive performance before he presented his surprising statement to fans.

"The offense was so prolific last year. If you're a Cowboys fan, you hope the offensive numbers don't look as good, because that would then mean that the defense is better." Aikman said on Get Up.

Aikman explained that Dallas's offensive performance needed to be improved because its defense, which ranked 30th in the league, allowed 30.1 points per game.

Dallas finished the 2025 NFL season with a 7-9-1 record after scoring an average of 391.9 yards per game, ranking 2nd-highest in the league.

As a part of an aggressive offseason, the team acquired EDGE Rashan Gary, safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Dee Winters, and EDGE Malachi Lawrence after they hired Christian Parker as the new defensive coordinator.

Cowboys fans continue to remain split on the debate. While many still trust Troy Aikman’s football perspective, others remain skeptical as Dallas searches for a return to Super Bowl contention after a decades-long drought.

How Cowboys Fans Responded to Aikman's Take

The social media platforms showed a divide as fans expressed their frustration through sarcastic remarks and authentic arguments.

The fanbase reacted because they saw their team, a top-two offense, fail to achieve a winning record.

"What is wrong with these shows, Dal Cowboys daily, win or lose," one fan wrote.

Dallas achieved the second-highest offensive performance in the league during 2025 but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second season in a row.

Naturally, some fans wanted both the offense and the defense to do well.

"Can I have both, though?" asked another fan. 

While a better defense is on most fans' minds, some fans want the offense to do well this year, too.

"Defense wins, but scoring still feels better," read one reaction. 

Some fans even went on to suggest that Aikman could make a difference to the numbers if he were in the organization.

"Join the Cowboys front office, Troy," a user commented. 

Meanwhile, some fans were convinced Aikman had it wrong.

"Nope. Cowboy fans would rather Dak get an MVP with a bad defense than look mediocre on a deep playoff run," read another reaction. 

Aikman's analysis showed strong analytical reasoning, but it reached a fanbase that needed to process multiple years of offensive potential that failed to produce playoff success.

What do you think the next year will look like for the Cowboys?

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Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote