At least once in the last couple of years, you would have asked yourself whether the Dallas Cowboys are still America’s Team. Like it’s been three decades, the Cowboys qualified as an on-field dynasty. They have cycled through 3 generations of players and 6 head coaches. But since the last time they had raised a Lombardi Trophy, other dynasties have formed. Early in the 21st century, the New England Patriots dominated the NFL scene, winning 6 Super Bowls. However, once Tom Brady left, the Patriots have been reduced to an average team. Another franchise that has staged a strong claim to America’s Team is the Patrick Mahomes Chiefs. Still, one Cowboys legend feels there’s no way America’s Team title will belong to someone other than the Dallas Cowboys.
See, right now, the Chiefs are closest to snatching America’s Team status from the Cowboys. On-field they have won as many playoff games in 2024 as the Cowboys have in the entire 21st century. This statistic may sound absurd, but it’s the hard reality of where the Cowboys have slipped into. Aside from on-field dominance, the Chiefs are also equally slaying off the field. After the NFL released its 2025 schedule, the Chiefs were found to have been allotted 7 prime-time games. They will be playing on all holidays, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve. The Chiefs will be everywhere in this season’s NFL coverage.
If that’s not enough to put a strong claim on the America’s Team title, then what is it? Well, Michael Irvin, who was part of the Cowboys’ 90s dynasty, doesn’t believe the Chiefs can still win the America’s Team crown. On his podcast, Irvin questioned all those debating, “Is the Dallas Cowboys America’s Team, or is it the Kansas City Chiefs?” He even called it a “fair debate.” Based on the lack of success the Cowboys have had on the gridiron and the trophies the Chiefs have won in the same time. On the pitch, it’s obviously the Chiefs Kingdom reigning supreme.
However, if you look really close, the Cowboys haven’t yet lost the privilege to call themselves America’s Team. Why? Michael Irvin had the answer ready to throw at all those who doubted the Cowboys’ credibility. “You just shouting it doesn’t matter. Everybody still tuned in to the damn Cowboys Let me show you what I’m talking about cuz I got the schedule right here,” Irvin said. Well, after the Chiefs, if there’s anyone who has dominated the NFL’s schedule, it’s Jerry Jones’ Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys are still very much America’s Team, as per the NFL schedule
So what if the Cowboys missed out on the playoffs? Had a dreadful 7-10 campaign without their star QB Dak Prescott playing. People still tuned in to watch the Cowboys. Remember the Thanksgiving matchup against the Giants? Yep, it pulled in 38.8M viewers. At its peak, it had 41.3M concurrent viewers—the most the NFL had in a regular season game last year. It was pretty surprising considering both teams had losing records. But people still watched the Cowboys play—though they looked miserable. They averaged 23.14M viewers per game last year. That was the third-highest, tying them up alongside regular playoff contenders, the Ravens.
Meanwhile, the NFL’s average viewership per game was clocked at 17M. As for the Cowboys, they brought in 6 to 8M themselves, in what was a down year for their fans. That’s the power of the Cowboys brand. Listen to what the NFL’s vice president of broadcasting, Onnie Bose, had to say about the Cowboys being a ratings juggernaut. “Look, the Cowboys are always a draw, the fan base is there. Yes, they were 7-10 last year, but they had 12-5 seasons the three previous years..Where they will be this year, 12-5 or 7-10?..This wasn’t going to be the year the Cowboys were only going to get two prime-time games.”
After the Chiefs winning 7 Prime-time slots, the Cowboys came in second with 6 despite an underwhelming 2024. Let’s not forget they are also opening the season against the Eagles. And as per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that game on September 4th is already pulling in an average ticket price of $1,743. But that’s just the beginning of the season. On Thanksgiving Day, the Cowboys will be taking on the Chiefs. For today itself, it’s being touted as a potential record-breaker in terms of viewership.
The stakes will be high. Bragging rights of America’s Team will be on the line. So, the question is, can the Cowboys put this America’s Team status debate to bed on Thanksgiving? Or will a loss on that day further dampen their chance to hold on to this America’s Team status?
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