After three different DCs in as many years, Jerry Jones and Stephen circled back to a name they already trusted. Matt Eberflus. But he brought fresh concerns in the Big D. Well, you can’t blame Dallas for Matt’s poor 14-32 stretch as head coach of the Bears. However, the front office kept the record at bay and tried to build culture, familiarity, and trust. For Eberflus, this was not a fresh chapter, but a continuation. And more than that, it was personal.

After all, he’d been in the building before. He knew the hallway chatter, the cadence of how Jerry and Stephen operate, and the rhythm of expectations in Dallas. That connection, he made clear, was the first anchor. “That was easy for me,” Eberflus said. “No. 1, Jones family. The familiarity with them. I love Mr. Jones, Stephen Jones, and the entire family, and to be able to come back and work with those guys. I trust ’em, know ’em, and have a relationship with them. That to me was one.” In a league that cycles through names as quickly as it does narratives, familiarity, apparently, still has value in Dallas. Or at least, they are trying to incorporate that value.

But remember, we talked about familiarity? Matt’s Cowboys return, after previously serving on Jason Garrett’s staff from 2011-17, had everything to do with the people. Not just the front office. JJ, Stephen, the Jones. No! His second reason struck directly at the team’s most scrutinized figure: Dak Prescott. “When I was visiting the Cowboys, at the time, I didn’t know who the coach was going to be. [So] To me it was Dak Prescott,” he referenced Dak as one of the pulling force to attract him back to Dallas.

“When he was a rookie, we drafted him here. And what’d he go? 9 and 1… 13 and 3! But I know what’s inside his heart. What kind of a man he is. What kind of leader he is. So, to me, that was a slam dunk.” That message wasn’t for the media—it was for the quarterback. And a rubber stamp of approval from the new DC that Dak, 31, is still HIM.

However, these are Matt’s reasons for returning. For the Cowboys? They saw something other than the whole familiarity angle. While Brian Schottenheimer adjusts to his new role as head coach, Stephen Jones stressed the value of pairing him with someone battle-tested. “Eberflus has had his bumps… but he knows the challenges,” Jones said. “He’ll be there at the end of the day for coach Schottenheimer.” That layer of mentorship could prove critical. For the new OC Klayton Adams, too. Especially in a locker room with stars like Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and DaRon Bland—all of whom Eberflus has already mapped out roles for in his system.

There’s still work to be done. But maybe the first phase of getting the culture side of the ‘rebuild’ sorted will kick start the new era for the America’s Team on a brighter note (not jinxing it, touchwood!). It feels different, too.

Dak Prescott’s not taking this progress for granted

Ten seasons in, and Dak Prescott isn’t entertaining legacy talk. Not when the door to a championship still hasn’t opened. Sitting under center as the Cowboys’ longest-tenured quarterback since Troy Aikman, Prescott knows the numbers. He’s climbed the record books, second in touchdown passes, third in yards, but that’s not what’s keeping him up at night.

“I want to win a championship,” Prescott said at minicamp. “Be damned if it’s just for my legacy, or if it’s for this team, for my personal being, for my sanity.” If that doesn’t read like a man at his limit, check the tone again. He didn’t flinch. And he didn’t hedge. “The legacy will take care of itself. I have to stay where my feet are.” So, where are his feet now? Squarely planted in a post-McCarthy Cowboys locker room, with a new head coach in Brian Schottenheimer, a fresh voice in his ear, and what he calls “a lot of good things” already happening at minicamp.

But if you’re wondering whether he deserves the benefit of the doubt, consider this: Prescott starts Year 1 of a $240 million deal—$60 million per year, the highest in league history.. Yet last season, he missed half the year with a torn hamstring, and when he did play, the Cowboys were just 3-5. His passer rating dipped to a career-low 86.0. The critics? They’ve been circling. Prescott knows. He’s 2-5 in the playoffs. So, the fans have let him know as well. “Overpaid” to “under-delivered.” But the tone this offseason feels different. Not desperate, but intentional.

“I think you have to [reflect], especially with how the 10 years have been,” he admitted. “Some being injured; some getting to knocking on the door and not finishing it.” He’s not blind to the history. Dallas hasn’t won a title since 1995. And it hasn’t had a quarterback this deep into his tenure without a ring. So now? JJ’s given him George Pickens. Joe Milton behind him. Philadelphia is on the schedule for week 1. Prescott’s not asking for a statue. He’s asking for a shot. And this time, he’s doing it on his terms.