The Dallas Cowboys are heading into the 2026 offseason with more questions than answers-but if you ask Tony Romo, there’s still reason for optimism in Big D.
After a disappointing 7-9-1 finish in 2025, the Cowboys watched the postseason from home for the second straight year. The culprit?
A defense that simply couldn’t hold the line, giving up more passing yards than any team in the league. That’s not a stat you want associated with your name, especially when you’ve got a veteran quarterback like Dak Prescott still playing at a high level.
Team owner Jerry Jones didn’t mince words after the season ended. He made it clear that change is coming-and it might be dramatic.
“We want to, while Dak is playing the game and got it down the way he’s got it, we want to get out here and do better than what we did this year,” Jones said. “So a combination of those things give us the incentive to, dare I say it, bust the budget to try to get something down now, yes.
We’ll do some dramatic things.”
That process has already begun. The Cowboys hired Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator-a move that could quietly reshape the team’s identity.
Parker made a name for himself in Philadelphia as the Eagles’ secondary coach and passing game coordinator, where he helped develop standout defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. That kind of résumé is exactly what Dallas needs after a season spent watching opposing quarterbacks carve up their secondary.
Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, now a lead voice in the CBS broadcast booth, weighed in on the team’s outlook during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. And while Romo didn’t sugarcoat the challenges, he made it clear he still sees a path back to playoff relevance-if the defense can hold up its end of the bargain.
“Brian Schottenheimer has a pretty good system and they really like him,” Romo said. “This team can turn around in a hurry.
This can turn around real fast. You got [John] Harbaugh in the division so that’s pretty tough, but I think Dallas is one or two players away with the right scheme on defense from making the playoffs.”
That’s not just lip service. Dallas still has a talented core on both sides of the ball, and while the NFC East isn’t exactly a cakewalk-especially with a proven winner like Harbaugh now in the mix-the margin between 7-9-1 and a playoff berth might be thinner than it looks.
Dak Prescott, for his part, isn’t backing down from the challenge. He spoke with conviction about the team’s future and his own evolving role within the organization.
“We won’t be back here in this spot,” Prescott said. “I feel like the last few times I’ve said that were playoff losses.
Each year has its own troubles. Each year has its own highs, lows, ebbs and flows and everything within it.
The importance is controlling what you can … I’m going to do my damnedest, controlling what I can and as you get older, I think having more input, having more say so and being asked more questions from the front office. Maybe there’s a little bit more that I can do, and it’s not physically or me getting better at my game.
Maybe it’s speaking up and saying that this will help or I think this can help.”
That’s a quarterback taking ownership-not just of his play, but of his leadership. And it’s a sign that Prescott isn’t content to ride out the final years of his career in mediocrity. He wants to win, and he’s willing to take on more responsibility to make it happen.
Still, the pressure is mounting. Another sub-.500 season could force the Cowboys to hit the reset button on more than just the defensive staff. Coaching changes, roster shakeups-everything could be on the table if 2026 doesn’t bring a return to form.
For now, though, it’s Schottenheimer’s offense, Parker’s defense, and Prescott’s voice leading the charge. The pieces are there. Whether they come together in time is the question Dallas fans-and the rest of the league-will be watching closely.