Dallas’ season has reached the point where even the uncomfortable questions are starting to look practical.
After the collapse against the Cardinals, the conversation around the Cowboys has moved well beyond Brian Schottenheimer’s future, Christian Parker’s hire, and whether the front office should be buying or selling at the deadline. Those debates are already everywhere. The more interesting ones are the smaller decisions that could shape what comes next.
One of them centers on Klayton Adams.
If Dallas is going to spend the rest of this season sorting through the wreckage, there’s an argument for using that time to get a better read on the people already in the building. Adams, the offensive coordinator, has been coaching for about 20 years, is only 43, and has spent most of that time in college before moving into the NFL in 2019. His stops included Indianapolis and Arizona before he arrived in Dallas last year.
What the Cowboys still haven’t seen is how Adams handles playcalling. Schottenheimer has kept that responsibility so far, which leaves a real gap in the evaluation. Even if Dallas goes in another direction at head coach after the season, Adams could wind up in that role next year depending on who gets hired and whether he stays on the staff.
If Schottenheimer is dismissed before the season ends, the obvious assumption would be that Mike Pettine gets the interim job. But there’s a case for Adams instead. That would let Pettine continue working with Christian Parker, which is what he was brought in to do, while Adams gets a chance to show what he can do as a head coach.
In that setup, the Cowboys could hand some of the offensive coordinator duties to QB coach Steve Shimko or OL coach Conor Riley. Adams would likely handle the playcalling, since that’s the piece he has not been able to prove under Schottenheimer.
It’s not a clean solution. Nothing about this season is. But once the year is slipping away, Dallas might as well use the time to learn something useful about its own staff before going shopping elsewhere.
The other underrated question involves Joey Porter Jr.
Yes, the Cowboys could trade him. The NFL allows a player to be moved multiple times in the same season, and it has happened before - Diontae Johnson went from the Steelers to the Panthers to the Ravens in 2024. So the mechanics are there.
The real issue is whether Dallas should even entertain it.
Porter has been one of the few things that has actually worked for the Cowboys this season. His talent has stood out even while Christian Parker’s defense has struggled around him. Any contender looking for a starting cornerback to help right now would have a hard time finding a better option.
But Dallas also paid a steep price to get him, sending a 2028 second-round pick to the Steelers. That makes the asking price tricky.
The Cowboys would need a strong return to justify moving him now, and Porter’s injury history this season complicates things further. He has missed games and has been on the sideline at times with in-game injuries, which could make another team hesitant to give up premium draft capital.
Unless someone makes an offer Dallas can’t refuse - one that beats the draft picks sent to Pittsburgh - the more likely path may be keeping Porter and trying to re-sign him as part of the next version of the secondary.
That matters because the cornerback room is a mess. If DaRon Bland had gotten back to Pro Bowl form or Shavon Revel had taken another step, the calculation might look different. But that hasn’t happened.
If the Cowboys decide this season is truly over and go into a fire sale, Porter would become a logical trade chip. Otherwise, Dallas could also bank on a third-round compensatory pick to make up most of the loss when he signs elsewhere next spring. Either way, he’s now part of the bigger decision tree as the Cowboys decide how far they’re willing to go in treating 2026 as a lost season.
In Other News...
DaRon Blands Struggles Are Becoming A Cowboys Problem
DaRon Blands season has become one of the more uncomfortable subplots on a Cowboys defense that has needed steadier play from its secondary. After foot injuries in 2024 and 2025, the cornerback has not looked like the same player, and his Pro Football Focus grade entering Week 9 reflected just how far the production has slipped. For a team that has leaned on Bland in the past, the drop has been hard to ignore.
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker has already talked with Bland about the need to clean things up, pointing specifically to finishing plays. Even with those issues, Bland is still getting more snaps than other corners such as Cobie Durant, who has graded out better. That leaves Dallas in a tricky spot, trying to balance trust, performance and the reality that one of its most important defensive backs is searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Suddenly Have A Linebacker Problem Shemar James Might Solve
Shemar James has quickly turned into one of the more interesting developments in the Cowboys linebacker room, and not just because of the numbers he has put up lately. His recent stretch has shown real growth in how he reads plays and finishes them, which matters for a defense that has been looking for steadier play in the middle of the field.
Dee Winters, meanwhile, has not given Dallas the kind of return it hoped for after bringing him in this offseason, and that has only sharpened the scrutiny on the trade. If James keeps trending up while Winters continues to search for his footing, the Cowboys may have a much different answer at linebacker than the one they expected when the move was made. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Still Waiting On Two Crucial Calls Before Colts Game
The Cowboys are heading into Week 9 with two of their most important personnel questions still hanging over the Colts game. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and wide receiver George Pickens will be limited, and the team is still waiting to see whether either player can take the field on Sunday.
Pickens situation carries extra weight because of the ongoing trade-rumor conversation around him, while Porters availability matters just as much for a defense trying to keep its footing. Dallas would like both players available, but for now the answer remains in the category of hopeful rather than confirmed. [Read more 🡒]