It seems to happen every year, but it never helps. Teams that fall way short of expectations begin to feel the pressure, which often leads to the dreaded “players only meeting.” For the 2026 Dallas Cowboys, they have reached that point.

It was revealed earlier this week by linebacker DeMarvion Overshown that the defensive players got together without the coaches to discuss their shortcomings this year. Overshown said it wasn’t a “fire drill,” but instead a chance to hold one another accountable.

“Look at ourselves in a mirror. We put what we wanted our standard to be... on the board,"Overshown said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota. "We went bullet point by bullet point: Are we holding up to this? Are we being this? As a unit, how can we get closer? What is it?”

Super Bowl-winning coach believes players only meeting is a terrible sign

While the idea is noble, the results are rarely positive. But you don’t have to take my word for it, Super Bowl winners Travis and Jason Kelce believe these meetings are a terrible sign. If their opinion isn’t enough, listen to Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin was a guest on the Kelce brothers podcast, New Heights, and was asked his opinion on what a players only meeting means.

“I think you’re dead,” Tomlin said.

Jason Kelce said they both agreed, saying it would make more sense to have a meeting with everyone. As for Tomlin, he thinks it would be better to simply not hear about it, saying hearing about the meeting makes it “BS.”

”Hey if it did occur, I’d like to not hear about it. The fact that you hear about it is what makes it BS,” Tomlin said.

Have any players-only meetings led to success?

The Cleveland Browns had a players-only meeting in 2022 following a poor start, which didn't turn things around following an early-season meltdown. They finished 7-10, which was disappointing. They held another in 2024, but finished 3-14.

Another team that was unable to find success was the Miami Dolphins, who went 7-10 following their Week 1 players-only meeting.

In the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles had a meeting called by A.J. Brown late in the 2024 season. Philly believed they were contenders, but after the meeting, they went 0-2 and were defeated easily in the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If any team can claim their meeting was a success, it would be the Houston Texans, who held a meeting in October of 2024. They were able to finish strong, going 10-7 and made it to the Divisional Round.

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