The 2024 season was a frustrating one for the Dallas Cowboys. After winning 12 games in each of the past three seasons, they fell to 7-10.
They deserve credit for fighting back from a 3-7 start despite losing Dak Prescott, Trevon Diggs, and DeMarcus Lawrence for the season. They even had to navigate four games without Micah Parsons, who still managed to put up a monstrous season.
Not every player can say that, unfortunately. That being said, here's a look at the seven biggest disappointments for Dallas in 2024.
Tyler Guyton, OT
Dallas traded back in the first round and ended up with an extra pick in the third. They used those two selections to fill holes on the offensive line by adding Tyler Guyton at No. 29 and Cooper Beebe at No. 73.
Beebe was everything they could hope for but the same wasn’t true of Guyton. He struggled mightily as a rookie and was benched for Chuma Edoga and Asim Richards at different points in the season.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB
The Cowboys never should have brought Ezekiel Elliott back — especially with the expectation that he could be a starter. While they expected too much from him early in the season, Elliott should have at least been a serviceable short-yardage back.
He couldn’t even provide that, finishing with 226 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 3.1 per attempt. Elliott wasn’t even an ideal teammate, being suspended for one game and eventually, they released him for the second time in his career.
Markquese Bell, S
Dan Quinn helped turn Markquese Bell into a starter as a hybrid linebacker. In 2023, he had 94 tackles and while he wasn’t great against the run, he was as good in coverage as any linebacker.
Under Mike Zimmer, Bell moved back to safety but hardly made a sound. He ended the season on the IR, recording just six tackles in nine games.
Brandin Cooks, WR
It took Brandin Cooks several weeks to get rolling in 2023, but he finished with a respectable 657 yards and eight touchdowns on 54 receptions.
This year, Cooks went in the wrong direction and had just 26 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games. He missed a lot of time due to a knee injury but never finished with more than 52 yards in a single game and was held under 20 in six .
Jake Ferguson, TE
Jake Ferguson was a breakout star in 2023 with 71 catches for 761 yards and five touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl during that impressive sophomore campaign but wasn’t nearly as good in year three.
Ferguson missed three games, finishing with 494 yards on 59 receptions. He saw his average per catch drop from 10.7 to 8.4 and had no touchdown catches. He came close in Week 18, but was ultimately held out of the end zone all year.
DaRon Bland, CB
After recording nine picks and five defensive touchdowns in 2023, DaRon Bland started the 2024 season on the IR. A stress fracture in his foot sidelined Bland for 10 games and when he returned, he showed signs of rust.
In seven games, Bland had zero interceptions and was targeted often in Week 18. He was even the player beaten for the game-winning touchdown from Terry McLaurin.
Dak Prescott, QB
It’s easy to say the Cowboys’ season ended when Dak Prescott got hurt but that’s not true. Even with Prescott under center, this team looked lost and overmatched in every game. They were 3-5 with Prescott, who struggled to get on the same page as CeeDee Lamb.
Prescott was also careless with the ball. Following an impressive season where he had nine interceptions in 17 games, he had eight in the eight games he played. After signing the most lucrative deal in NFL history, the Cowboys expected more from Dak.
