The Dallas Cowboys haven't made the playoffs since 2009, yet somehow Jerry Jones' team has once again risen in value -- by 36 percent over last year -- to lead the Forbes NFL Team Values list, which was released Wednesday, at $3.2 billion.

The Cowboys are atop the magazine's rankings by a healthy margin for an eighth consecutive season, having risen in value by $900 million to become the only NFL team worth more than $3 billion.

Despite last having won a championship in 1996, the Cowboys are second in value only to Real Madrid ($3.4 billion) among all global sports franchises.