Troy Aikman, ESPN’s color commentator, voiced his opinions regarding the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season, just days before their Week 11 “Monday Night Football” game against the Houston Texans.

The ex-Cowboys quarterback appeared on Dallas’ SportsRadio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM) to discuss the upcoming game he will be commentating on for ESPN. During the conversation, Aikman touched on various topics, including the debate about sunlight issues at AT&T Stadium and the current situation of Cowboys’ head coach Mike McCarthy.

The game will take place on Monday, Nov. 18, at 8:15 p.m. ET, marking the first encounter between the two teams since 2022. Viewers can watch the game on ESPN and ABC.

Troy Aikman Talks About Sun Glare at AT&T Stadium

Concerns regarding sunlight at AT&T Stadium became a major topic following the Cowboys’ Week 10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

During the previous game, quarterback Cooper Rush attempted to connect with star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in the end zone. Although the pass seemed accurate, it resulted in an incompletion. Lamb later pointed out that he lost sight of the ball due to the sunlight.

When asked if he would support the idea of installing curtains to block the sunlight, Lamb responded, “1,000%.”

However, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dismissed the notion when questioned about it later.

Jones responded, “Well, let’s tear the damn stadium down and build another one? Are you kidding me?”

Regarding the sunlight issue, Aikman mentioned he had perceived similar problems in every late-window game he has commentated on at the stadium. He noted that seeking changes directly from Jones wouldn’t yield results.

“I don’t think anyone can just walk into Jerry’s office and say, ‘You need to do X.’ That’s not how it works,” Aikman stated.

“Jerry (Jones) has made his position clear, and it seems unlikely that there will be any changes. I’ve heard suggestions, like putting up a curtain. I suppose it could be done, but my understanding is that once you open the roof or put a curtain down, it remains that way for the entire game.”

“It seems like it would be fairly simple to address. But I realize it would impact the aesthetics of the stadium, and that’s not what Jerry aims for. Thus, it looks like this issue will keep arising during late-window games. Luckily, we won’t have to deal with this on Monday night.”

Troy Aikman on Head Coach Mike McCarthy

The Cowboys opted not to extend McCarthy’s contract in the offseason, which may put him in a precarious position as he enters the final year of his contract following a disappointing 3-6 start to the 2024 season. If a coaching change is to occur, it will happen at the season’s end, as Jones has made it clear he won’t fire anyone midseason.

When discussing McCarthy, Aikman pointed out that the lack of authority given to the head coach—due to not receiving an extension and being unable to make personnel decisions—might influence how players perceive him.

“I’ve never been part of a team where the head coach is in the last year of his contract. I’d like to think that this doesn’t affect how players respond or what motivates them to perform at the required level,” Aikman remarked. “But is that the case? I’m not sure.”

Aikman believes there’s been too much focus on the Cowboys’ off-field affairs instead of their on-field performances, making McCarthy’s role even tougher.

From contract negotiations for Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott to Jones’ “all in” statements alongside underwhelming free agency, there’s certainly a lot to talk about in Dallas. The recent sunlight glare issue is merely another unnecessary distraction.