When you think about the illustrious 65-year history of the Dallas Cowboys, you immediately think of the Super Bowls, the star players who have worn the beloved star over the years, and those who became the best at their positions and elevated themselves to Hall of Fame status. This includes players like Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, Larry Allen, Tony Dorsett.
But there are plenty of other players, like Darren Woodson and Jason Witten, who are no less iconic and no less deserving of historic recognition for their impact in the NFL, but who have yet to receive the recognition they deserve.
When you think of Dallas Cowboys football over the last several decades, you can’t forget about these guys, who played an important role in the franchise’s success, no matter whether they played in the '60s or the 2000s.
We’ll look at several Cowboys players from across the eras who should be in the Hall of Fame, but for one reason or another, they’ve been snubbed. You can make a strong or reasonable case for why this group of Cowboys should be immortalized with the greatest players to play on the gridiron. These players not only had outstanding numbers, regardless of era, but also had the accolades to back them up.
Here are 10 Cowboys who shouldn't be snubbed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Click to jump to a specific player:
- Darren Woodson (1992-2003)
- Jason Witten (2003-2019)
- Everson Walls (1981-1989)
- Nate Newton (1986-1998)
- Ed “Too Tall” Jones (1974-1989)
- Harvey Martin (1973-1983)
- Cornell Green (1962-1974)
- George Andrie (1962-1974)
- Lee Roy Jordan (1963-1976)
- Don Meredith (1960-1968)
Darren Woodson (1992-2003)
Before we go back in time to talk about the players who paved the way for Woodson, we have to show some love to the ex-Cowboys safety. Woodson played a huge role during Dallas’ run in the 1990s, when they won three Super Bowls.
The fact that he’s not in the Hall of Fame is appalling, as he has a ton of accolades and is the team’s leading tackler (813 solo). It’s something that has bothered Cowboys fans, who thought Woodson’s drought would come to an end last year, but the HOF went with another defensive back, Eric Allen, who was on the ballot for the 19th year.
What hurts Woodson is that he played during an era of Cowboys football in which the offense was the star of the program. When most football fans think of the Cowboys in the 1990s, they automatically think of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. All three of those guys got into the Hall of Fame, and rightfully so.
However, Woodson’s contribution to the Cowboys and the league shouldn’t be forgotten. His HOF monitor score on Pro-Football-Reference is 67.33, which is lower than the average of 97. But that still sits higher than another safety from the era who has received the nod, as John Lynch made it with a 64.28 score despite winning fewer Super Bowls and earning fewer first-team All-Pro nods.
Jason Witten (2003-2019)
Witten doesn’t have the Super Bowls on his resume, but he was quietly one of the better tight ends during his era.
The former third-round pick is one of the greatest players in Cowboys history, as he holds the franchise record for most career receptions (1,215), receiving yards (12,977), games played (255), and is tied for the most Pro Bowls with 11.
When looking at the tight end position as a whole, there are surprisingly only 10 guys in the Hall of Fame. Antonio Gates, who played during the same time as Witten, was inducted in 2025.
Gates balled out with the Los Angeles and San Diego Chargers as he barely missed any games and was one of the top receiving threats throughout his career. Gates racked up 955 receptions for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns (most by a tight end in league history).
Even though Witten didn’t have the same number of touchdowns (74) as Gates, he bested him in receptions (1,228) and receiving yards (13,046). Witten also had more Pro Bowl appearances (11) than Gates (8), despite the former Chargers star having more first-team All-Pros (3) than the former Cowboy (2).
While Witten and Gates played the TE position two different ways, it's hard to ignore how eerily similar their resumes are. Witten was named as one of the semifinalists for the 2026 class in November, so he’s knocking on that door in his first year of eligibility.
Everson Walls (1981-1989)
Walls spent nine years with the Cowboys and quickly made a name for himself. He led the NFL in interceptions as a rookie (11) in 1981 and was named to his first Pro Bowl. Not too shabby for an undrafted player. That would be the first of four Pro Bowl nominations for Walls.
Walls led the NFL three times in interceptions, all coming in Dallas, and finished his career with 57 takeaways. When you look at the other DBs with the most career INTs, 10 of them are in the Hall of Fame.
Did we also mention that Walls is a Super Bowl champion and has a first-team All-Pro and second-team All-Pro on his resume?
There are even guys in the Hall of Fame who have fewer career interceptions than Walls, such as Aeneas Williams, Darrell Green, Deion Sanders, Ty Law, and Champ Bailey. But you won’t find many people who will argue for Walls over those guys, who were game changers and playmakers in their own right.
For as great as Walls was to start his career, he couldn’t keep it going for the rest of his time in Dallas, and then with the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns. Walls last played in the NFL in 1993 with the Browns, with his final Pro Bowl and All-Pro coming in 1985. That’s a huge gap.
The former Cowboys CB was close to getting a gold jacket in 2018, which was his final year of modern-day eligibility. In October, Walls was named among the 52 senior nominees for the 2026 class.
Nate Newton (1986-1998)
Newton is running into the same problem as Woodson, as they both played on those famed Super Bowl teams in the '90s.
As we know, the triplets (Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, and Troy Aikman) get all the attention for that era of success in Dallas’ history. However, the offensive line deserves to get some love too, as they protect the quarterback and also open up running lanes on the ground.
It’s hard to quantify whether an offensive lineman deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, as they don’t have stats like passing yards, sacks, or touchdowns to help make their case. But if they have notable accolades on their resume, it helps their cause.
During his 14-year NFL career, Newton was named to the Pro Bowl six times, which included his last season with the Cowboys in 1998. He was also named first-team All-Pro twice in his career (1993 and 1994).
Ed “Too Tall” Jones (1974-1989)
Jones is surprisingly not in the Hall of Fame, even though he was one of the more dominant players during his era.
The former No. 1 overall pick is credited with 106 sacks, which isn’t bad for a 15-year career, as it puts him fourth all-time in Cowboys history, next to guys like DeMarcus Ware, Harvey Martin, and Randy White.
Martin is in the same boat as Jones, while White and Ware are both in the Hall of Fame. In fact, White played at the same time with Jones and Martin. However, it was White who was viewed as the impactful player with 111 sacks as a defensive tackle, which is impressive.
As for Jones, he was a Super Bowl champion, but didn’t have a lot of individual accolades or double-digit sack seasons. Jones only made the Pro Bowl three times, one first-team All-Pro, and two second-team All-Pros
And when it comes to the sack department, he had two seasons with double-digit sacks off the edge (13 sacks – 1985 and 10 sacks – 1987).
Meanwhile, a guy like White had five double-digit sack seasons in Dallas, including a season with 16 sacks in 1978. During the 1978 season, Jones recorded 9.5 sacks, which isn’t too shabby, but White and Martin (14.5) were more productive.
Harvey Martin (1973-1983)
The fact that Martin isn’t in the Hall of Fame is crazy, as he has the stats and accolades to back up his illustrious resume. And think about this, he’s not in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, despite having 114 career sacks and winning a Super Bowl in 1977.
The Grapevine, Texas native had four seasons with double-digit sacks, including two seasons in which he had 14.5 sacks, which is impressive, given that quarterbacks during that time likely weren’t dropping back 40-50 times a game.
Martin also had a ridiculous 20-sack season in 1977. Something to keep in mind is that sacks didn’t become official until 1982. However, anytime a defender gets 20 sacks, that’s something to recognize and be proud of.
Martin didn’t have the same number of accolades as his teammate, Randy White. However, he was named a Pro Bowler four times, received a first-team All-Pro honor, and won Defensive Player of the Year in 1977.
Cornell Green (1962-1974)
Green is in the same boat as Martin in that they both aren’t in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, but you could make the case that he should be in consideration based on his backstory alone.
The 6-foot-3, 208-pound cornerback was a college basketball star at Utah State, where he was named to the All-American team twice (1961 and 1962) and All-Skyline Conference honors three times (1960-1962).
Green was drafted by the Chicago Zephyrs in the fifth round of the 1962 NBA Draft. However, he never played a single minute of NBA basketball thanks to legendary scout Gil Brandt, who discovered Green at Utah State. And from there the rest is history.
For a guy who only played one year of football in high school, Green made the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 1962, starting in five games.
After that season, Green became the permanent starter in Dallas, playing and starting in all 14 games from 1963-1974. If you are looking for model consistency, look no further than Green, who made five Pro Bowl appearances, four All-Pro teams (two first-team and two second-team), and had two seasons with at least seven interceptions.
Green ended his career with 34 interceptions, which isn’t bad, considering he made the switch to safety towards the latter part of his tenure in Dallas. Green was among the 162 senior player nominees for the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in September 2025, but did make it to the next round in October.
George Andrie (1962-1974)
Andrie gets overlooked in the Hall of Fame conversation, as he doesn't have the same amount of sacks (98.5) as someone like Elvin Bethea (105), who spent his entire 16-year career with the Houston Oilers from 1968-1983.
However, when you look at accolades, Andrie is not too far off from Bethea, and if one has a nod, the other probably should too. Andrie had five Pro Bowl appearances, a Super Bowl, a second-team All-Pro appearance.
Meanwhile, Bethea had eight Pro Bowls and two second team All-Pros, but no Super Bowl ring. At the same time, they both had at least six seasons with double-digit sacks. Andrie’s best season was in 1966, when he had 18.5 sacks.
Bethea, for example, never reached the 18.5 sack threshold, but had one year with 16 and two with 14.5.
Therefore, it's crazy to think that Andrie isn't in the Hall of Fame yet. But we could say the same thing about Jim Marshall, who was one the known faces on the Purple People Eaters’ Vikings teams.
Lee Roy Jordan (1963-1976)
Jordan played during the same era of the Cowboys football with Andrie and Green, and finds himself on the outside looking in.
Jordan was a playmaker on the Doomsday defense as he made opposing offenses pay every time. The former first-round pick spent all 14 years in the Lone Star State, despite being drafted also in the second round of 1963 AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots.
Jordan, who recently passed away at 85 years old on August 30, 2025, made the Pro Bowl five times and was a Super Bowl champ.
He also finished with 743 solo tackles, and is tied for first all-time interceptions for an inside linebacker with 32, which is nothing short of impressive, considering the era he played in. Unlike today’s NFL where quarterbacks are dropping back 30-40 times a game, quarterbacks in the 60s and 70s weren’t doing that.
Jordan was recognized for his efforts by the Cowboys in 1989 as he was inducted into their Ring of Honor. That said, Jordan has a strong enough resume statistics wise to be in the running for a Hall of Fame nomination. When you look at the other inside linebackers with at least 30 interceptions (Nick Buoniconti, Ray Lewis, and Sam Huff), they are in the Hall of Fame.
Jordan was among the 52 senior player nominees under consideration for a gold jacket in October, but didn’t make the cut for the semifinals.
Don Meredith (1960-1968)
Dandy Don has an interesting Hall of Fame case. Meredith didn’t spend a lot of years on the gridiron (only eight seasons) as he retired at 30 years old, and jumped into the TV world.
However, it’s hard to ignore the fact that he’s considered one of the original Cowboys stars and was the first quarterback in franchise history to win 40-plus games. He didn’t win a Super Bowl or NFL championship, despite getting there twice, which would’ve added to his lore.
But he was named to the Pro Bowl three times and helped Dallas win their first three division titles in franchise history.
He also threw for 17,199 yards, 135 touchdowns, and 111 interceptions, which is impressive, given the era of football that he was playing in, which was more heavily geared towards defense and running. In fact, Meredith threw at least 20 or more TD passes in three out of his last four years in the NFL.
Meredith joins Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach as the only quarterbacks in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, which speaks to his importance to the franchise as he set the stage for what was to come over the decades.
In October, Meredith was among the 52 senior player nominees for the Class of 2026, but sadly did not advance to the semifinals.