Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons knows what gets a player into the franchise’s hall of fame, and it ain’t winning games in September.

“The regular season is cute. But this is legacy,” Parsons told reporters, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.

For Parsons, he and his teammates are acutely aware of the star power the Cowboys employed in the 1990s and the success those teams achieved. This current Cowboys squad knows that without meaningful postseason success (i.e. Super Bowl trophies), they cannot earn that inner-circle status.

“(The way Jimmy Johnson, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Charles Haley performed in the 1990s), that’s where me, CeeDee (Lamb), Dak (Prescott) all want to be, (have) that legacy and earn our way into that type of Cowboys Hall of Fame.”

Cowboys crave playoff success
Parsons was speaking after his Cowboys easily dispatched the Washington Commanders by a score of 38-10 in Week 18. The win clinched the NFC East crown for America’s Team and locked them into the number-two seed in the NFC. The Cowboys will play host to the Green Bay Packers next Sunday.

In addition to the spotlight that comes with playing for the Cowboys, Parsons and Co. will be feeling the pressure this postseason.

The team has rattled off its third straight 12-5 season under coach Mike McCarthy. But the previous two have ended in disappointment.

The 2021 Cowboys were felled in the wildcard round by the San Francisco 49ers. The following season, the Cowboys bested the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs’ opening round. But their season ended in the divisional round, once again by the 49ers.

Regular season success has been a constant recently. But until another Super Bowl trophy makes its way to Jerry World, Parsons and his teammates will be tier-two in Dallas and nothing more.