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Whataburger is the official burger of the Dallas Cowboys — but they’re not selling burgers at Cowboys games

Here’s what we know about this new partnership.

Whataburger is now the official burger of the Dallas Cowboys, marking a marketing moment for two of Texas' most beloved brands. It’s the first time Whataburger has been named any NFL team’s official burger.

Maybe you’re thinking what I’m thinking:

Does this mean Whataburger is going to sell its famous burgers inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington now? Will we see Dallas Cowboys logos at Whataburger restaurants? Wait, are they installing a Whataburger inside the Dallas Cowboys headquarters or at The Star in Frisco?

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The answers are: no; they wouldn’t say; and doesn’t look like it.

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Or with:

For all the media coverage of this cool-sounding partnership, answers are fuzzy on what the affects might be for Cowboys fans and Whataburger fans. Not that I didn’t try: I asked Whataburger to answer the question “why is this significant?" — a query that seemed almost too easy — and they referred me back to the press release, which doesn’t say much.

Here are two vague things the press release promises:

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“Fans can expect to see more orange-and-white on the Whataburger Game Day Set at AT&T Stadium and some exciting community activations as the Cowboys and Whataburger huddle around the causes that matter to Texas."

This could be really cool. Or it could be words on a page.

A spokesman for Whataburger made it sound like there was more to come. Spokespeople for the Cowboys deferred to Whataburger for details.

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A Houston Chronicle writer called the whole thing “rude” because Whata appears to have chosen the Dallas Cowboys over the Houston Texans. So, I dunno, that’s something?

It’s not known whether money exchanged hands in this partnership. The deal appears to offer Whataburger increased messaging and visibility with America’s Team — without selling burgers at Cowboys events.

It’s not the first time the Cowboys and Whataburger have worked together. The two companies collaborated on a digital wall called Friday Night Stars inside the Ford Center at The Star. It displays high school football game info and pics of Frisco ISD fans. They’ve also partnered on a Coach of the Week series, with the local coach getting a $2,000 grant.

The Dallas Cowboys have “official partners” in many capacities, though those partnerships seem to yield more tangible results for fans. To be fair, many of those partnerships have been in place for longer.

Dunkin' Donuts (which is called Dunkin' today) was declared the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys in 2009. Today, at AT&T Stadium, fans can buy a cup of Dunkin’ coffee.

Miller Lite is the official beer of the Dallas Cowboys. You’re seeing where this is going: At AT&T Stadium, fans can buy Miller Lite.

Papa John’s is another example: From 2010 to 2018, it was the official pizza of the National Football League. With that partnership, Papa John’s ran a deal with the Dallas Cowboys where menu items were 50% off the day after the Cowboys scored 20 points or more. (It’s also worth noting that Jerry Jones has owned “scores” of Papa John’s franchises in Dallas-Fort Worth, we reported in 2018.)

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Ford is the Cowboys' official vehicle. American Airlines is the official airline. WinStar is the official casino. Frito-Lay is the “official salty snack partner.” (How awesome is that title?) And the list goes on.

We can and should hope that there’s more to come with this Whataburger announcement. Whataburger and the Dallas Cowboys are two iconic brands and it does seem like a natural fit for them to work together. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram says it’s “shocking that it didn’t already exist” and Eater says it “makes total sense.” So now what?

They started the conversation. You can, too: “Hey, did you hear Whataburger is the official burger of the Dallas Cowboys?” you might say to a friend.

Then, quick: Change the subject.

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For more food news, follow Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter at @sblaskovich.