Which Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks let the team down the most?
One thing that Dallas Cowboys fans have taken for granted is how good they have been at the quarterback position for most of their existence. Eddie LeBaron started 20 games their first two seasons before giving way to Don Meredith who was under center from 1962 through 1970.
After him, Roger Staubach was their starter and he was the player who turned them into ‘America’s Team’. One of the most beloved players of all-time, Staubach was succeeded by Danny White and there was hardly a blink between White and Troy Aikman.
While Staubach was the most beloved, Aikman was the most decorated as he led them to three Super Bowl wins. The success these players had has a lot to do with players such as Tony Romo and Dak Prescott being so maligned despite their obvious talent.
As good as the team has been at finding a long-term starter, they have had their share of misses as well. Here we look at the five most disappointing quarterbacks in Dallas Cowboys history, staring with a player who replaced White and ended up being followed up by Aikman.
Honorable mention: Tony Banks (2001)
It’s hard to put this one on the player because the Cowboys themselves simply never gave this veteran a shot. After releasing Troy Aikman, Jerry Jones signed Tony Banks who had split time with Trent Dilfer the prior season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore won Super Bowl XXXV on the strength of their defense as both Banks and Dilfer were considered game managers. In this role, Banks did well leading them to a mark of 11-7 in his two seasons there — which followed three years with the St. Louis Rams.
Banks completed 53.7 percent of his passes for 3,714 yards with 25 touchdowns and 16 picks. Nothing to go crazy over, but he proved to be a competent starter. Unfortunately, the Cowboys never gave him a shot as they released him in favor of Quincy Carter.
After leaving Dallas, Banks signed with the Washington Redskins and was 8-6 as a starter for them. As for Carter in Dallas, we all know how that went — and will dive into that more later.