Troy Aikman said he did not expect an opening with the Cowboys and was not surprised that one never came, even though he said an ideal opportunity would have been with the team where he lives and where he played.

“Yeah, ideally because it's where I live,” Aikman said. “It's where I've played.” He added that he has “a 12-year history with the organization and then it's right in my backyard, obviously that would have been ideal.”

The former quarterback’s remarks land at a familiar moment for Dallas, which has gone 30 years without a Super Bowl title. Aikman said he always roots for the Cowboys and wants to see them do well, but his working relationship with the club never developed into a front-office role.

“I've only played for one team,” he said. “It's not one of these situations where my allegiances have been split as a player.”

Aikman said the Miami Dolphins reached out and asked whether he could help, and he said he has a rooting interest there as well. “I always root for the Cowboys and I want to see the Cowboys do well and the Dolphins reached out and asked if I could help and I've said it before I have a rooting interest for the Miami Dolphins,” he said.

His comments also point to the tension around how Jones runs the franchise. Jerry Jones has sons and a daughter in prominent front-office positions, and while he has said he wants to hear from former players, he has not created an opening for them to help run the team. Last season, Jones did not respond publicly when Aikman said the Cowboys should not make a trade at the deadline.

Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson are considered three of the greatest players in franchise history. Aikman and Smith are Hall of Famers, and Woodson is the franchise leader in tackles, but none of them has been brought into a leadership role that matches their place in team history.

Aikman said his relationship with Jones remains civil. “No, our relationship is cordial,” he said. “We talk when we run into each other.”

That leaves Dallas where it has often been in recent years: rich in history, short on titles, and still looking for a bridge between its past and the people who helped make it.