FRISCO – Day after desperate day, Stephen A. Smith continues to prove what we’ve known for a long time: He needs the Dallas Cowboys more than the Dallas Cowboys need him.

The ESPN loudmouth who constantly talks about the Cowboys on his ESPN show was at it again Monday, this time repeating his familiar refrain that Dallas won’t be make the playoffs in 2025. It actually is kind of impressive how many ways Smith can twist his fabricated and disingenuous anti-Cowboys stance into a hot opinion.

He’s the Taco Bell of talk. Like the fast-food restaurant, he only serves a couple of items – meat, cheese, lettuce, Cowboys – yet somehow boasts a full menu of variety.

When ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky claimed the Cowboys would be “much better” this season with a healthy Dak Prescott, Smith regurgitated his fake hate of America’s Team. While Orlovsky predicted Dallas could contend for a playoff spot, Smith yelled that have “no shot!”

“Yeah,” Smith replied to an incredulous Orlovsky repeating the “no shot” stance. “That’s about right. I don’t see them being any better than third place in the NFC East. Now, if you’re going to tell me that three teams are going to come out of the NFC East to go to the playoffs, I’m all ears.”

When Smith proclaims that the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders are better than the Cowboys entering the April 24 NFL Draft, he’ll get exactly zero pushback. Those teams played in the NFC Championship, and while Jerry Jones has tinkered with his offseason roster he hasn’t engineered a move that moves the needle within his own division.

You’d think a team that hasn’t won a Super Bowl in almost 30 years and has “no shot” of making the playoffs wouldn’t warrant much air time on ESPN. But there is also “no shot” Smith can avoid talking about the Cowboys.