Brian Schottenheimer escaped the kind of immediate backlash that usually follows a rough first year, but the margin for error in Dallas is already shrinking. After the Cowboys finished 7-9-1 in his debut season, most of the heat landed on defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who was gone after one year.
Dallas tried to reset the defense by bringing in Christian Parker, whose background as a defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator created real optimism. That optimism took a hit fast in Week 1 against the New York Giants, when the Cowboys never found a way to slow them down.
That performance did more than spoil Parker’s first impression. It also raised the pressure on Schottenheimer, because another season trending toward the wrong side of the standings could put him squarely in danger. Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon still stopped short of calling it a full-blown crisis, describing the situation in Dallas as “warm” for Coach Schotty.
“The Joneses have actually given head coaches long leashes dating back to the end of the Dave Campo era. Jerry might be losing patience, though. They could blow it all up if Schottenheimer posts a second straight losing season in 2026,” Gagnon wrote.
That history matters. Jerry and Stephen Jones have shown patience with coaches before, and the clearest example came during Jason Garrett’s run. Dallas kept running it back with Garrett through four straight 8-8 seasons, and even his 10-year tenure produced only a 2-3 playoff record.
Jerry Jones stayed loyal to Garrett for a long time, including after the 8-8 finish in 2019, before eventually moving on and hiring Mike McCarthy. McCarthy delivered better regular-season results, but his playoff record in Dallas was 1-3.
When McCarthy was dismissed, the Cowboys turned to Schottenheimer, promoting him from offensive coordinator. The move drew plenty of criticism, and the results have only made the scrutiny louder. Schottenheimer is now 7-10-1, and the defense has been a major problem.
Blaming the coordinator can only carry a coach so far. If the Cowboys don’t straighten things out, Schottenheimer is the one who will have to answer for it, which is why he feels like a coach moving closer to the hot seat.
The bigger unknown is how Jones will handle it. He has shown more urgency lately, but he also still seems intent on finding the kind of coach nobody saw coming. That’s part of why he stuck with Garrett so long, and why Schottenheimer may get more patience than some fans would like, even if the defense keeps lagging behind.
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Cowboys Suddenly Have A DeMarvion Overshown Problem Again
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Now the Cowboys are back in a familiar holding pattern with Overshown, who is expected to miss 1-2 weeks with a hamstring injury. The timing matters because he is also in a contract year, which adds a layer of uncertainty to a player who has already given the organization plenty to think about when healthy and even more reason to wonder what comes next if the injuries keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]