FRISCO - Once upon a time, no two teams in the NFL were more aggressive - and I'm not talking "selectively aggressive - as the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers.
The two NFC rivals jousted for five years to be the "Team of the Decade'' with the Cowboys coming out ahead of the Niners thanks to "America's Team's'' trio of Super Bowl wins.
But exactly a year ago, owner Jerry Jones' Cowboys made a complete U-turn on the idea of swinging for home runs when it comes to roster-building, opting for a one-year "Blow It Up'' plan that would ideally lead to a return to contention in 2025 thanks to $100 million in available spending room under the cap.
And now? The NFL team that in this era has come the closest to winning a Super Bowl without lifting a trophy is doing it's own "Blow It Up'' thing ... and has been unceremoniously gutted.
Remember the '90's? Dallas rolls gigantic dice on a trade for the Niners' Charles Haley and wins. Both teams take a turn with Deion Sanders and both teams win.
Jerry Jones' people in Dallas and team president Carmen Policy in San Francisco literally invented some of the cap-bending tricks we see as commonplace today.
But now?
The Cowboys' first week in free agency marks a sea change from a year ago, when 11 starters or rotational pieces departed ... and for the most part, were not replaced.
This year's Dallas team? At least they are in the black on the Free Agency Scorecard. (See below.)
Related: Cowboys Free Agency Scorecard on All The Signings and Trades
The Niners? Not so much.
In Super Bowl LVIII, the San Francisco 49ers had five different leads on the Kansas City Chiefs. The Niners led 10-0 early, 19-16 late and 22-19 in overtime. A Harrison Butker field goal tied the score with :03 in regulation, and Patrick Mahomes' touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman won it for the Chiefs with :03 left in overtime.
The Niners suffered heartbreak. Since then they've endured a total breakup.
From the 22 starters in that Super Bowl, just more than half remain. That's right, 10 players that started against the Chiefs on Feb. 11, 2024 are now ex-Niners.
Those players include receiver Deebo Samuel, left guard Aaron Banks, right guard Jon Feliciano, defensive lineman Arik Armstead, defensive lineman Chase Young, defensive lineman Javon Hargave, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, linebacker Oren Burks, cornerback Charvarius Ward, and safety Tashaun Gipson.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk was cut this week, but then re-signed. Safety Talanoa Hufanga, who was on injured reserve that day, is also gone.
For a coach Kyle Shanahan-led and GM John Lynch-led franchise that prides itself on camaraderie and loyalty, it's a shocking overhaul.
The seismic shift puts almost all the pressure on quarterback Brock Purdy, who seems on the verge of receiving a lucrative contract extension. ... which marks another parallel to today's Cowboys, who are paying QB Dak Prescott $60 million a year - with some seeming reluctance to swing for that home run.
The only good news here for Cowboys Nation? In the last three years, the Cowboys have lost to the Niners four times - twice in the playoffs.
So if the 49ers? Are "Blowing It Up''? The two teams don't play each other this year, but nevertheless, maybe Dallas can finally claim - in this era - to be better than San Fran.
But for sure ... The Cowboys vs. 49ers rivalry is changing. And not for the better.
Related: Cowboys Should Sign Keenan Allen for 3 Reasons
Related: 49ers Purdy Credited With Taking Darnold From Bust to Boom
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This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 8:47 AM.