Is the salary cap Jerry Jones’ curse preventing the Cowboys from returning to the Super Bowl? The data seems to confirm it
The NFL changed forever in 1994 when it introduced the salary cap, a rule aimed at creating competitive balance. Sparked by the 1993 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the cap came after the NFL lost an antitrust lawsuit, leading to free agency. To prevent rich teams from dominating, the league set a $34.6 million cap in 1994, which has ballooned to $279.2 million in 2025, tied to media deals and a 48% player revenue share, according to ESPN. The result? Remarkable parity: 14 different teams have won Super Bowls since 1994, and 25 have reached the big game, unlike the NBA's eight champions in the same span (Sportskeeda, 2022). Smart cap management, like the Patriots' use of Tom Brady's discounted contracts, has allowed some teams to sustain success, but others have struggled. Enter Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys' owner and general manager, […]