While reunited with his college coach Johnson, the Cowboys' misfortunes continued the following year as they finished with a 1–15 record, the worst in franchise history, while injuries limited Irvin to only six games, after he was on a pace to gain more than 1,000 receiving yards, until tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against the San Francisco 49ers and being placed on the injured reserve list. The injury prevented him from playing until the fourth game of the 1990 season, but registered his first catch until the seventh game and finished with just 20 receptions for 413 yards, but also averaged 20.7-yards per catch.