Brian Schottenheimer is wasting no time showing why the Cowboys believe he can push this team into a new lane.
When Dallas moved on from Mike McCarthy and handed the job to Schottenheimer, plenty of people around the league treated it like a mistake. The process got blasted as a “disaster,” and the franchise was accused of not wanting a ring.
That’s the backdrop. Schottenheimer’s answer has been to build a staff that looks nothing like a safe, conventional hire-and-hope operation.
That approach is already paying off on offense. Schottenheimer’s Cowboys finished with the second-best offense in the league, and heading into his second season, they’re being positioned as a legitimate contender.
The biggest difference between him and McCarthy isn’t the broad shape of the scheme. It’s the willingness to keep adjusting the pieces around it.
A good example is Klayton Adams. Schottenheimer brought him in as offensive coordinator even though Adams had never held that title before.
The bet made sense based on Adams’ work as the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive line coach, and the results showed up quickly. Dallas went from 100 rushing yards per game in 2024 to 125 in 2025.
Adams helped fill in the gaps and gave the offense more juice.
Schottenheimer showed the same kind of flexibility on the other side of the ball. After Dallas put together a disastrous defense in 2025, he moved on from defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hired former Eagles assistant Christian Parker to take over.
That’s a different kind of move than the one McCarthy might have made. McCarthy’s three defensive coordinators all came with previous experience in the role.
Schottenheimer, by contrast, was willing to take a shot on someone without that track record.
It’s too early to stamp the Parker hire as a success, but the early signs have been encouraging. Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic named both Adams and Parker as breakout candidates for the upcoming season, and said they “combine to make as exciting a coordinator tandem as we’ll see in 2026.”
In Other News...
Cowboys May Already Be Losing Faith In Their Latest QB2 Fix
The Cowboys still have a backup quarterback question hanging over camp, and it is one of the more practical roster battles on the board. Joe Milton held the primary reserve role last season, but Dallas brought in Sam Howell to compete for QB2, giving the team a more established alternative behind Dak Prescott as training camp approaches.
Howells experience and the money committed to him in free agency give him a real path to the active roster, while Milton has work to do to convince the staff he can be more reliable. His preseason showing last year did not help his case, and if the accuracy and consistency do not come around, Dallas could be left deciding whether to keep him around in a lesser role or move on. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Were Quietly Tied To A Quarterback Story Fans Did Not See Coming
Brendan Sorsbys path to the NFL took a detour this week when his attempt to enter the supplemental draft was turned away and he was told to wait for the 2027 draft instead. The quarterback had already lost NCAA eligibility because of sports gambling, and his name quickly became one to monitor around the league as teams weighed whether there was value in getting involved early.
Dallas was among the clubs that reportedly took notice, a reminder that the Cowboys are always looking ahead at quarterback even with Dak Prescott entrenched as the starter. Any interest in Sorsby would have been about more than the present, with the team thinking about depth and the long view at the games most important position. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys May Have No Choice But To Revisit A Veteran Linebacker Fix
The Cowboys linebacker search took a hit when Miami locked up Jordyn Brooks on a three-year extension, shutting down one of the more obvious trade possibilities Dallas could have explored. Brooks had been the sort of player who fit the need: young, productive and potentially available if the Dolphins had chosen a different path, which made him an easy name to circle for a defense still sorting out its second level.
Now the focus shifts to other ways of adding stability, and that is where the veteran market starts to matter. Dallas still needs a dependable presence at linebacker, especially with DeMarvion Overshowns role not fully settled, and the idea of bringing in a proven, experienced option has real appeal as both leadership and insurance if the position does not come together the way the Cowboys hope. [Read more 🡒]