Records are meant to be broken. Just last season, CeeDee Lamb set the Dallas Cowboys record for catches and receiving yards in a single season. The previous record holder belonged to Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who set them in 1995, so Irvin's record stood for nearly 30 years.
Given Lamb's trajectory, he could break his own record this upcoming season. Several other Cowboys records could get broken in the near future. Dak Prescott is some 5,000 passing yards and 46 touchdowns away from supplanting Tony Romo atop the record books.
Given that Romo's successor is on the verge of shattering his passing records, is it fair to assume that any record can be broken? The answer is a resounding no. With that, here's a look at some of the most unbreakable records in Cowboys history.
These Cowboys records may never be broken
3. DaRon Bland's five pick-sixes in a season
It wouldn't be overly shocking if Bland's record got challenged in the future. The NFL is such a pass-happy league now that pick-six opportunities will be aplenty. Ironically, though, no player since the Eagles' Eric Allen in 1993 has managed four pick-sixes in a season. Before Allen, you have to go all the way back to the Chiefs' Jim Kearney in 1972 and the Oilers' Ken Houston in 1971.
Most defensive backs would be satisfied with a five-interception season. Interceptions aren't the true testament of an elite corner, but most of the NFL's current top cornerbacks don't have crazy INT numbers. In no order, that group features Sauce Gardner, Patrick Surtain, Charvarius Ward and Trent McDuffie. Between them, they had a combined six interceptions and one pick-six last season.
Marcus Peters is the most recent defender to flirt with the record when he notched three pick-sixes in 2019. Only six players since 2009 have returned three INTs for touchdowns in a season: Peters, Charles Woodson, Charles Tillman, Darren Sharper, William Gay and Janoris Jenkins.
That should create a greater appreciation for Bland's 2023 season.
2. Tom Landry's 29-year run as Cowboys head coach
Only four head coaches have more career wins than Landry: Don Schula (347), Bill Belichick (333), George Halas (323) and Any Reid (284). In terms of the Cowboys, no head coach may top Landry's 270 career wins. Jason Garrett is second in franchise history with 87 career wins. That says it all.
It is also fair to assume that Landry's record of 20 consecutive winning seasons is safe. The Patriots came close under Bill Belichick when they rattled off 19 straight winning seasons from 2001-2019. The Chiefs have 10 straight winning seasons and could challenge Landry's record if Patrick Mahomes stays healthy.
However, no head coach is going to last 30 years with a single franchise. Curly Lambeau also coached the Packers for 29 seasons, but no coach has more than 29 years with one team. Belichick was with the Patriots for 24 seasons and Schula lasted 24 years with the Dolphins.
The longest-tenured active coaches are Mike Tomlin (17 seasons), John Harbaugh (16 seasons), and Andy Reid (11 years). It will be impressive if they reach the 20-year plateau, let alone challenge Landry's 29-year record.
1. Emmitt Smith's 18,355 career rushing yards
Landry's 270 wins as Cowboys head coach will be tough to beat, but nobody will come close to topping Emmitt Smith's 18,355 career rushing yards. Incredibly, Smith broke Walter Payton's rushing record in 2002 and went on to play two more seasons to cement his rushing tally as unbreakable.
Smith's record is likely safe both on a Cowboys scale and a national scale. Frank Gore is the most recent running back to break 16,000 career rushing yards and he played an unprecedented 16 seasons.
Not only is the shelf life for RBs shorter than ever but offenses don't emphasize the run game like they used to in the 2000s. That would explain why Adrian Peterson is the next-closest back of this generation on the all-time rushing list. Peterson is fifth all-time with 14,918 rushing yards.
There isn't a single active RB in the top-25. Derrick Henry is knocking on the door, but he's nearing the end of his career and sits at 9,502 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, Smith played 15 seasons and cracked 1,000 rushing yards in 11 of them. From 1991-1995, Smith rattled off three rushing crowns and amassed 8,019 rushing yards. That tally alone would place him third on the active leaders in rushing yards.
Smith's record may stand the test of time.
