Jan. 13, 2026, 3:46 p.m. CT
With the Cowboys watching from home for the second straight NFL postseason and the ubiquitous talk of their now-30-year Super Bowl drought, it’s easy to lose sight of just how dominant a playoff presence America’s Team has been… and actually still is across the league’s history.
Going 5-13 in their postseason games over the past three decades, however, has allowed several other teams to do a lot of catching up in the all-time stats, and there could be further shuffling over the next few weeks, even before a new champion is crowned in Super Bowl LX.
Dallas will need to get themselves back in the dance- and soon- if they want to maintain their historical standing as one of the sport’s postseason fixtures.
Here’s a look at how the all-time records shake out for the Cowboys- and a few of this year’s playoff franchises- following the wild-card round.
The Cowboys remain the NFL’s all-time kings when it comes to playoff game appearances, with 67 postseason contests in total. That record is currently in jeopardy, depending on how the 49ers fare over the next month.
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The Cowboys’ 36 wins have them tied for fourth place; the Packers, Patriots, and 49ers have all surpassed them in the category in recent years. Dallas’s 31 postseason losses are second-most of any team, one less than the Vikings have.
The team’s 36-31 playoff record equates to a .537 winning percentage, a number that’s just ninth-best across the league. (Consider that following the Super Bowl XXX victory in 1996, Dallas’s 31-18 overall postseason mark gave them a .633 winning percentage, the same as the No. 1 Patriots have right now.)
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers reached 66 total playoff games with Monday night’s wild-card date against the Texans, putting them just one behind Dallas. That’s where they’ll stay for now, though, following their 30-6 loss in what could end up being Aaron Rodgers’s final game… and what was Mike Tomlin’s final game as head coach. Pittsburgh’s 36 total postseason wins leaves them tied with the Cowboys for fourth-most all-time.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers played in their 65th all-time playoff game when they beat Philadelphia in the NFC’s wild-card round. They’ll tie the Steelers at 66 when they face Seattle on Saturday night. If San Francisco reaches the NFC Championship, they’ll tie Dallas for most postseason games. Obviously, then, getting to Super Bowl LX would give the 49ers the most playoff games in league history, at 68. Their .615 postseason winning percentage is second-best overall, and their 40 playoff wins are the most of any organization.
The Packers played in their 65th playoff game during the wild-card round, with a postseason record that dates all the way back to 1936. They’ll stay stuck two behind the Cowboys, though, after falling to the Bears by a 31-27 score. Their playoff winning percentage is .569, third-highest, and they have one more playoff win than the Cowboys overall.
Denver is currently 10th all-time in postseason winning percentage, at .535. With a divisional-round win this weekend over Buffalo, the Broncos would improve to .545 and leapfrog Dallas (9th) as well as Kansas City and Washington to tie Pittsburgh for sixth-best all-time. Denver could jump all the way to fourth place in the category if they go on to win Super Bowl LX.
New England Patriots
When it comes to playoff winning percentage, everyone is chasing the Patriots; their .633 all-time mark is tops in NFL history. They passed Dallas in postseason wins during their last Super Bowl season, and at just two behind the 49ers, they now also have a chance to claim the record for most postseason victories (if San Francisco gets bounced this weekend and New England then goes on to win Super Bowl LX).
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!