Cowboys fans abnormally pessimistic entering season opener

Perhaps a rocky offseason dampened their spirits as Dallas Cowboys fans aren’t too optimistic about the team’s chances in 2024.

Dallas Cowboys / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Despite winning 36 regular season games over the past three seasons, optimism doesn’t seem to be high among the Dallas Cowboys fan base.

Even after winning the NFC East title in comeback fashion in 2023, the Cowboys were ranked 30th in the NFL this season on The Athletic’s ‘Hope-O-Meter’ poll.

In their first inaugural poll, Dallas came in with an optimistic rating of 19.9 percent. According to staff writers, quarterback stability was a huge factor for teams that finished near the top. While the Cowboys have the runner up for NFL MVP award under center, they don’t have Dak Prescott signed long-term which is casting plenty of doubt on their future.

MORE: Winning Super Bowl with Cowboys is 'A No. 1' goal for Dak Prescott

To their credit, The Athletic tried to use quotes from optimistic and pessimistic fans but had just one fan ready to buy in. The rest of their comments were rather sour, and the issues all come back to the way Jerry and Stephen Jones are running things in the front office.

“Pessimist Ryan: It’s generally tough to be optimistic as a Cowboys fan given what we’ve dealt with over the past 30 years, but this year we clearly did not get any better (and likely got worse). There have been plenty of contract distractions leading up to the season. Even if that gets sorted, it’s hard to imagine a world in which they make any noise. Plus, the NFC East title curse is working against them this year.”

This offseason might have been one of the most frustrating in recent memories. The Jones family went beyond the point of frugality in free agency and are selling the fan base on a backfield led by Ezekiel Elliott and possible Dalvin Cook. They also drug their feet on extensions for their best players, with Prescott still unsigned beyond 2024.

The pessimism is understandable considering these moves (or lack thereof) but perhaps a win in Week 1 will be enough to boost morale.

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