When Dallas Cowboys’ legendary running back Emmitt Smith sat down with Ross Tucker ahead of Super Bowl LX to talk about Dallas, the conversation turned to the Micah Parsons trade. Tucker believed the Cowboys Nation felt “defeated,” as though they’d finally come to terms that the franchise chases dollars instead of wins.

Smith, meanwhile, linked it to the old pain when fans were bristling at the new owner/general manager, Jerry Jones, for firing head coach Tom Landry and trading away Herschel Walker. That pain had given way to the 90s dynasty, and Smith believes something similar is in store now.

“Here’s the beautiful thing about that trade of Herschel Walker: it created the platform that we built and developed in the 90s,” Smith told Tucker on the show. “I say we still have the same opportunity to do that.”

Jerry Jones traded Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in 1989, the same year he bought the Dallas Cowboys. That trade, still touted as the biggest in NFL history, shuffled 18 players between three teams, and the Cowboys ended up with 8 draft picks at the end of it. Those picks eventually became Emmitt Smith, safety Darren Woodson, DT Russell Maryland, and others who anchored the 90s.

The pain was temporary, and it transformed into three Lombardi Trophies within the next four seasons. Now, the returns from the Parsons trade are also looking similar.

When Jones sent Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last offseason, he got a 2026 first-round pick (No. 20), a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. He then traded one of his 2027 first-rounders to acquire Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets at the trade deadline last season.

Despite the haul, not everyone was too pleased with Jones’ decision to trade Parsons. Fans even decided to chant at practices, but to Emmitt’s point, it might all work out. Their work during the 2026 draft was a further indication of where the team is heading.

At the draft, the Cowboys traded down from their first-round pick, moved to No. 23, and picked up two fourth-round picks from the Philadelphia Eagles. Pick 23 became UCF linebacker Malachi Lawrence, and the fourth rounders became cornerback Devin Moore (114th overall) and defensive end LT Overton (137th overall).

This haul alone shifted the defense from a one-star pass rusher to a run-stopping line, and the draft brought additional gems like Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who’s already turning heads at the offseason programs.

Since that pre-Super Bowl interview, Emmitt Smith has commended the front office’s efforts on “taking all the distractions off the table and giving the kids and the guys an opportunity to stay focused” this offseason. But back then, he had also issued an ultimatum on what would happen if the Parsons trade haul couldn’t deliver.

“If we don’t, then I believe the Dallas Cowboys and the family could be losing fans for a lifetime,” Smith had said. “Because those fans will feel like they have been taken advantage of, and no one has really paid attention to them. And that’s when you would see an effect of sales – in tickets, suites, merchandising going down.”

Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys for $140 million in 1989 and transformed it into the $13 billion empire it is today. He did not make it what it is without taking risks.

The defensive rebuild under new coordinator Christian Parker is complete. Williams, Clark, Lawrence, Moore, Overton, Downs – the new pieces are locked in. But Smith’s warning about losing fans doesn’t just apply to the defense. The Cowboys need their offense to deliver just like last season, and that starts with the quarterback. If the defensive haul from the Parsons trade is going to justify everything, Dak Prescott needs a system that lets him win.

Dak Prescott’s 2026 reset

Prescott came back from a season-ending injury and led an MVP-caliber campaign. But even with him throwing 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns, the defense kept bleeding points and became the sole reason the Cowboys missed the playoffs for the second time in a row.

Prescott caught a lot of heat for the 2025 season, but Emmitt Smith wasn’t buying any of that. Speaking to Action Network’s DJ Siddiqi, he compared Prescott to Tony Romo, one of the Cowboys’ greatest success stories at quarterback.

“I think having Dak Prescott as a Dallas Cowboys quarterback is the best thing that the Cowboys have done since Tony Romo left,” Smith said. “I would just say to everyone that says Dak has not won the big one – well hell, the Cowboys haven’t been in the big one. He cannot win it all by himself.”

Under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the 2025 Cowboys became the second-best offense in the league, averaging 26.6 points per game. The balance he brought to the team, Smith believes, is reminiscent of the 90s dynasty.

“I think the system that you’re seeing with Brian Schottenheimer has a balance,” Smith said. “It kind of has a feel for what the balance that we used to have back in my day. That feels good to me. It looks good, and it’s the right thing to do for Dak Prescott and our offensive team.”

Prescott is already being floated as an MVP contender before the Cowboys even enter training camp. Jerry Jones has used the Micah Parsons trade to transform the Cowboys into terrifying contenders. The question that needs answering now is whether it’s enough to finally end the 30-year Super Bowl drought.