Troy Aikman remains one of the greatest players in Dallas Cowboys history, having helped establish the franchise as the NFL’s dominant team in the 1990s. He won three Super Bowls during his career in Dallas, but his relationship with the organization has not always been smooth.

The fallout between Jerry Jones and former head coach Jimmy Johnson after their championship success reportedly left a lasting impact on several players, including Aikman. Despite that history, former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson believes the franchise could benefit from bringing Aikman back in a different capacity.

Darren Woodson Revisits Jimmy Johnson Fallout As Jerry Jones Considers Troy Aikman Reunion

Speaking on “The Darren Woodson Show” on Thursday, Woodson suggested Jones should consider using Aikman’s current role as an ESPN analyst to gain insight into the league and the Cowboys’ own locker room.

Aikman’s regular interactions with general managers, coaches and players could give Dallas a better understanding of how the organization is viewed around the NFL, Woodson explained.

“Absolutely,” Woodson said when asked if Aikman should be hired as an executive in Dallas’ front office. “[They] should have done this 20-some years ago. He’s got inside knowledge. Here’s the thing: Troy meets with every GM, every coach, the players on Fridays when he’s working for ESPN.”

But Woodson’s case for bringing Aikman back also brought up the complicated history between Aikman and Jones. He believes the fallout from Johnson’s departure left lasting frustration among the players, with Aikman bearing much of the pressure after the two sides parted ways.

Asked if Aikman and Jones’ relationship became “chilly” during their time together in Dallas, Woodson acknowledged that there was likely some animosity between them.

“If you don’t tap into that, there’s no doubt there’s got to be had some animosity along the way… And it may have started way back when we had a chance to win championships. Jimmy Johnson was a part of it, and that whole thing broke up back in the early ’90s,” Woodson recalled.

“We were all a part of it. A lot of us were upset about the fact that Jimmy and Jerry couldn’t get along because we were set to [become] a dynasty. When that divorce did happen between Jimmy and Jerry Jones, who did all the pressure fall on? No. 8 (Aikman).”

After taking over as head coach, Johnson helped turn a struggling Dallas team into a Super Bowl contender. The Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII in 1992 and followed it up with another title in Super Bowl XXVIII the following year.

However, Johnson’s relationship with Jones eventually deteriorated. The two reportedly clashed over how much credit Johnson deserved for building the championship-winning teams of the early 1990s.

Johnson and Jones mutually agreed to part ways in 1994, with Barry Switzer taking over as head coach. Their split ended a partnership that had delivered back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

Dallas remained one of the NFL’s strongest teams, but Johnson’s departure marked a turning point for the franchise. Woodson believes players were disappointed because they expected the championship-winning group to stay together and keep competing for titles under Johnson.

“We wanted to make history,” Woodson said. “We were talking about making history after the second Super Bowl, winning a third one. So, you can imagine where the players sat. In this situation, I think that was snatched from us. So, I’m sure there’s some animosity that’s left over from that.”

While the split happened more than three decades ago, Woodson’s comments suggest that the fallout from Johnson’s departure may still be a factor in the relationship between Aikman and Jones.

Jones, for his part, has made it clear that he would be open to bringing Aikman back into the organization.

During his weekly appearance on “105.3 The Fan,” Jones indicated that the Cowboys were not necessarily planning an immediate move to give Aikman a more direct role with the team, but left the door open to a reunion.