Dallas Cowboys · Franchise era 6 of 6
Dak, Zeke and the modern contenders: the Dallas Cowboys story
Franchise era
2016—present
Dak, Zeke and the modern contenders
Dallas Cowboys
The story in one sentence
Prescott's immediate rise and Parsons's defensive impact kept Dallas among the league's most talented teams without a return to the conference championship game.
Regular-season excellence meets January frustration
Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Micah Parsons gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2016
What came before
Romo developed into a prolific quarterback and gave Dallas repeated division titles, though a sequence of narrow playoff losses shaped the era's reputation.
2017-01-15
Divisional Round: Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys
2019-01-05
Wild Card: Seattle Seahawks vs Dallas Cowboys
2023-01-22
Divisional Round: Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core