From day one, a legendary coach-QB bond between Jimmy Johnson and Troy Aikman should have been a certainty. The circle of football? Shoulda, woulda, coulda, don’t work…

In 1989, when Johnson took over the Cowboys and Aikman was the first overall pick, their relationship was… well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly Montana and Walsh. Johnson, always playing 4D chess, threw a wrench into the mix by drafting another quarterback, Steve Walsh. That’s like signing a franchise QB, then immediately swiping right on another.

Naturally, Aikman wasn’t thrilled. Trust was shaky. And after a brutal 1-15 season, it seemed like this duo was headed for the football version of divorce court.

Fast forward to now, after bringing two Super Bowls to the Big D, and retiring from a 31-year-old broadcasting career, Johnson finally spilled the details on his dynamic with Aikman while on ‘The Herd’ with Colin Cowherd. When asked about their relationship, Johnson didn’t sugarcoat it: “No, it wasn’t always right there.” Turns out, their bond started with some good ol’ quarterback drama. Johnson always knew Aikman was his guy, but he had to play it cool—hyping up both QBs to maximize Walsh’s trade value.

“We had a strained relationship that first year because I drafted Steve Walsh with a supplemental pick. And I knew Troy was our guy, but I wanted to take Steve Walsh because quarterbacks are so valuable. I knew that I would be able to trade him. I actually started trying to trade Steve Walsh a month or two after I drafted him,” Johnson admitted to Cowherd.

Basically, if we cut to the chase here, it was like knowing you’ve got a Pro Bowler but still pretending your backup is a hidden gem. Aikman, understandably, wasn’t buying it.

So, that first season? Rough.

Losing doesn’t exactly bring people closer, and Johnson admitted, “We went 1-15—that’ll strain any relationship.” But once Walsh was out the door, Johnson shifted gears. He made an effort to repair things with Aikman, and slowly, the ice thawed. By the time they were hoisting Lombardi Trophies, the bad blood had turned into something much deeper. Aikman wasn’t just Johnson’s quarterback—he was becoming family. “Like I said, we’re best friends, now… It’s fantastic,” Johnson said.

And if there was any doubt, look no further than Johnson’s Hall of Fame induction moment. When the announcement came live on FOX, Johnson—usually as tough as a goal-line stand—was in tears. Aikman? Up in the booth, just as emotional, soaking it all in. “Jimmy has never been appreciated in Dallas for what he accomplished,” Aikman said. That moment wasn’t just about the Hall. It was years of built-up respect finally pouring out. Aikman had seen Johnson transform a disaster into a dynasty, and he knew how much the recognition meant.

This connection actually started way before the Cowboys. Back in high school, Aikman was a top recruit, and Johnson—then coaching at Oklahoma State—was the first head coach to visit his home. The two nearly teamed up in college before Barry Switzer worked his recruiting magic at Oklahoma. And later, when Aikman transferred from OU, Johnson came calling again at Miami. It never happened, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Their paths kept crossing, almost as if fate had them on a collision course.

Even after their early Dallas drama, Johnson eventually cracked the Aikman code. He wasn’t just coaching a quarterback—he was figuring out how to connect with him. It was well-documented in the dallascowboys.com’s article titled, ‘How Jimmy Johnson’s Bond With Aikman Evolved.’

By 1992, the two started building a real bond, one Heineken at a time. Johnson recalled a conversation where Aikman casually joked, “One day, you and me are gonna be riding around in a convertible like Roger Staubach.” That stuck with him. A few weeks later, after a win in New York, Johnson pulled Aikman aside and said, “You have no idea how much that meant to me.”

The walls were coming down.

Their relationship hit another level when Johnson, ever the perfectionist, lost a tough game to Washington in ’92. He was fuming, but Aikman showed up to the team Christmas party, anyway. They ended up talking about fish tanks—yes, fish tanks. Next thing Aikman knew, Johnson was at his house, building one. “It should be noted I did nothing but drink Heinekens. Jimmy built all of it,” Aikman laughed. That’s when their bond became more than just football. The coach who once kept his distance was now showing up on Aikman’s day off just to check on the fish.

Looking back, Aikman knows the Johnson he sees now—relaxed, living life in the Florida Keys—is a far cry from the obsessive, laser-focused guy who ran the Cowboys. “He’s complicated and brilliant, but his edges are a little softer now,” Aikman said. And maybe that’s why their relationship works so well today.

Time, success, and, let’s be honest, a couple of beers helped turn what was once a strained partnership into one of the most respected friendships in NFL history. In the end, the quarterback-coach duo that once seemed destined to fail turned into something legendary—just not in the way anyone expected. Even Jerry Jones could not have foreseen it. (Ah, the JJ and the JJ tussle…).

Jimmy Johnson has a piece of advice for Jerry: “Communication”

Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones were the ultimate football power couple in the early ’90s. Johnson was a master tactician (which eventually did reflect in the trophy cabinet). Jones, meanwhile, had his eyes on the business side, ensuring the team remained a financial juggernaut. For a while, it worked. But then, the cracks began to show.

Johnson recently sat down with Colin Cowherd and, in classic Jimmy fashion, didn’t hold back. He recalled how things started to shift once Jones paid off his $140 million loan. “Jerry and I, our relationship was fine for a while because he borrowed $140 million. He was trying to pay off that loan, so he spent all of his time trying to make money to pay off the loan. So he really didn’t bother me. Then he wanted to jump in the football business,” Johnson said.

And that’s where the trouble began. Jones, always eager to have a hand in every decision, wanted more control. Johnson, a coach who thrived on autonomy, wasn’t about to hand over the keys. A silent battle brewed, and before long, it was over—Johnson was out. Money moves, ego won: the business side of football.

The Cowboys moved on, bringing in Barry Switzer, and yeah, they still won a Super Bowl. But it wasn’t quite the same. The foundation that Johnson built started to crack, and after Switzer left in 1997, Dallas became a team stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. Since then? Just four playoff wins. Four. The failure to let Johnson do his job painfully reminds us of what could have been.

To Jones’ credit, he’s admitted he messed up. In 2016, he told KTCK radio, “I probably should have had a little more tolerance with Jimmy Johnson. Seriously.” And yet, it still took years for Johnson to be inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. Fans had been calling for it forever, but Jones took his time. Too much time.

Finally, in 2021, the moment arrived. Sure, it was well deserved. But it was then, when JJ completely lost the remaining few loyalists. They knew he was only here to build the ‘World’s Richest Franchise’…  And that’s it!

Looking back, Johnson had one simple lesson for Jones—one he learned the hard way. “The way you bring out the best in people is you have interaction with them, you communicate with them. The biggest problems I ever had with anybody were when I didn’t communicate. And that’s what happened to Jerry and me.”

In the end, Johnson and Jones were always bound to clash. Two relentless competitors, both convinced they knew best. But the Cowboys? They were at their best when those two were on the same page… Maybe, just maybe, there’s a lesson in there for the Cowboys today.