With a lot of speculation swirling around Dallas Cowboys’ legendary quarterback Troy Aikman making himself available for a role with the franchise, one other Cowboys legend supports owner Jerry Jones in bringing Aikman in to run the team.

Darren Woodson, who played at defensive back and strong safety for the Cowboys from 1992 through 2003 and is in the Cowboys Ring of Honor, thinks it’s high time for Jones to hire Aikman.

Darren Woodson Supports Cowboys Hiring Troy Aikman

Aikman’s current situation with ESPN remains in flux, as he and play-by-play announcer Joe Buck have reportedly been at odds. Buck was offered and signed a new deal with ESPN, while the network has not given Aikman a contract.

Aikman has been quite vocal about the matter, making it clear that he may not see a future with ESPN. Woodson commented on Aikman’s situation and what he believes the Cowboys should do in the first episode of “The Darren Woodson Show.” Host Ben Rogers asked Woodson for his thoughts about whether the Cowboys should bring in Aikman.

“Absolutely. Should have done this 20-some years ago,” Woodson said. “You got inside knowledge. Here’s the thing: Troy meets with every GM, every coach, and the players on Fridays when he’s working for ESPN, and they show up, or on Saturdays now.

“They show up, they have their interviews, and I was part of it back then,” Woodson continued. “It was John Madden who used to come in, and he and Pat Summerall would sit, and they would interview us players or the coaches.”

Woodson, who was a second-round draft pick out of Arizona State by Dallas in the 1992 NFL Draft, finished his career with 23 career interceptions for 271 yards and 2 interception returns for touchdowns.

He believes that Aikman’s ability to tap into some inside knowledge about NFL teams can play a role in how he’d work with the Cowboys.

“So, you have inside knowledge,” Woodson said. “You get inside knowledge of what’s going on within the organization, how the players feel, who the coaches are, how they feel about the coaches. That is valuable information that Troy has at his disposal. Why wouldn’t you tap into that?”

Woodson added that he’s looking for any competitive advantage that Aikman could get. He also mentioned former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Brady is also a Fox broadcaster, though his access is more limited than Aikman’s due to his Raiders ownership stake. The NFL allows Brady to participate remotely in production meetings but bars him from other teams’ practices and facilities.

“You don’t think the decisions are going to come in and say, ‘Well, I’ve met with such-and-such player. There’s something strong about him,’ or, ‘I have this knowledge from a coach about how a coach runs his practices’?” Woodson continued. “You get all that, and I think that’s valuable knowledge.

“And I’m just kind of ashamed of the fact that the Cowboys have not approached Troy over the years,” Woodson said. “I just, I mean, who better to have than a guy like Troy Aikman? You know the character.”

Woodson earned five Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro recognitions as well. So, he knows the ins and outs of the game. Having Aikman on board could be a way for the Cowboys to potentially move toward a long-elusive Super Bowl appearance.

The question, though, is whether Jones is willing to turn over the reins of a general manager role to Aikman.