The Holdout That Nearly Derailed a Dynasty: Emmitt Smith’s 1993 Power Play

Cowboys fans have seen holdouts before. This Micah Parsons thing is nothing new. But if you’re wondering whether a contract dispute can truly shake the foundations of a championship team, look no further than 1993 — when Emmitt Smith put an entire dynasty on hold.

The reigning Super Bowl champs were ready to defend their crown. But their All-Pro running back wasn’t.

The Missing Piece to a Championship Puzzle

Coming off a dominant Super Bowl XXVII win over the Buffalo Bills, the Dallas Cowboys looked poised to run it back in 1993. Troy Aikman was at his peak. Michael Irvin was making plays. The defense was ferocious.

As for Emmitt Smith, he was the NFL’s leading rusher and the undisputed engine of the offense. But there was a problem: Smith had outplayed his rookie contract and wanted to be paid like the league’s top back. The Cowboys, led by owner Jerry Jones, weren’t budging.

So Emmitt sat out.

0–2 Without #22

Smith’s holdout stretched into the regular season. The Cowboys opened the year without their best offensive weapon — and the results were immediate and painful.

In Week 1, they fell 35–16 to the Washington Redskins.

In Week 2, they lost at home to the Buffalo Bills, the very team they had trounced in the Super Bowl just months earlier.

Suddenly, the title defense looked shaky. The offense sputtered without Smith’s balance and brilliance. The locker room was frustrated. And after that Bills loss, Cowboys defensive end Charles Haley famously threw his helmet through a locker in frustration.

Jerry Blinks

Two losses in, Jerry Jones picked up the phone.

Emmitt Smith re-signed on September 5, agreeing to a four-year, $13.6 million deal that made him the highest-paid running back in the league.

He returned in Week 3, shook off the rust, and slowly began to power Dallas back to dominance.

From 0–2 to Immortality

With Smith back in the lineup, the Cowboys went 12–2 the rest of the way. Emmitt rushed for more than 1,400 yards in just 14 games. But his legend was truly cemented in Week 17, when he played through a separated shoulder against the Giants in a must-win game for the NFC East title.

He ran for 168 yards and caught 10 passes. The Cowboys won in overtime.

Then came the playoffs — a blowout of the Packers, a physical win over the 49ers, and a second straight Super Bowl victory over the Bills.

Smith was named Super Bowl MVP, completing a season that began with absence and ended with dominance.

A Reminder for Today’s Cowboys

As the Micah Parsons contract saga unfolds in 2025, Cowboys fans are getting déjà vu. Another generational talent. Another contract dispute. Another chance to derail a season before it begins.

Back in 1993, it took two losses and a locker room revolt to bring Emmitt Smith back into the fold. Once he returned, the Cowboys were unstoppable.

Sometimes, it takes a holdout to prove just how valuable a player really is.