What to Expect from Brian Schottenheimer's Second Year as Head Coach

The Cowboys finished 2025 at 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second straight year despite being alive in the race on Thanksgiving. Brian Schottenheimer didn't dress it up afterward. "I did not think that we would be 7-9-1," he said. Dak Prescott called the season "frustrating" and admitted he couldn't "directly correlate my play to the wins and losses." Jerry Jones stuck with him anyway, saying he's seeing "great, great tangible things" — no coaching change, just the second year of Schottenheimer's original four-year deal. That's the backdrop heading into year two: a coach with ownership's patience, a fan base with a lot less of it, and a roster that got a serious offseason upgrade. Here's what's actually changed, and what it means for what to expect this season.

A First Year That Ended Short

It's worth remembering what Schottenheimer was working with in year one. Micah Parsons was traded to Green Bay before the season started. Defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died in November, a loss that hit the locker room far beyond the box score. The defense finished among the worst in the league, while Dallas ended the season with a minus-nine turnover differential, another reflection of how frequently the team struggled to create opportunities for its offense. Dallas still rallied from 21 down to beat Philadelphia — its first win from three touchdowns back since 2014 — a game in which Prescott also passed Tony Romo as the franchise's all-time leading passer. Schottenheimer also made a habit of holding players accountable when it cost him on the field, benching CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens for missing curfew in Las Vegas and, in December, waiving Trevon Diggs over what he described as “a culmination of multiple factors.” Schottenheimer cited performance and “other elements,” while reporting around the move pointed to a broader deterioration in the relationship between Diggs and the organization.

The Defense Gets an Overhaul

The biggest offseason storyline isn't one signing — it's how Dallas built around the return from the Micah Parsons trade. Kenny Clark became part of the new defensive core, while the two first-round picks gave Dallas additional capital to reshape the roster. One of those future first-rounders was later included in the trade for Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, and the Cowboys followed by adding edge rusher Rashan Gary, cornerback Cobie Durant, linebacker Dee Winters, safeties Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke, and using the 11th overall pick on safety Caleb Downs. A unit that ranked among the league's worst in 2025 looks almost unrecognizable heading into camp. On offense, Dallas mostly stood pat and let it ride — all 11 starters are back, including George Pickens, who joined Lamb in a trade from Pittsburgh back in May 2025 and now enters year two in Dallas on a one-year, $27.3 million franchise tag after an extension deadline passed in July without a long-term deal. For the first time in the Schottenheimer era, the roster construction matches the ambition.

New Coordinator, and a Coach Who Wants More Say

Matt Eberflus is out as defensive coordinator; Christian Parker is in, bringing a multiple defense built around varied fronts, pressure packages and coverage rotations. Early camp work in Oxnard showed a unit designed to disguise looks and adapt the scheme to the strengths of its personnel. Schottenheimer has also been direct about his own to-do list for year two: get more involved in defense and special teams, two areas he mostly left to coordinators as a first-year head coach, and build closer relationships with players through one-on-one dinners. "Being really the head coach and in charge of all three phases and having a handle of that," is how he described it. He's still calling the offensive plays, with Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator, but he's signaling he wants to be a head coach in more than name across the whole roster this time around.

Early Signs From Camp

A handful of camp storylines are worth tracking as position battles sort themselves out. Tyler Guyton won the starting left tackle job over seventh-round pick Nate Thomas after just one padded practice — Schottenheimer called it early rather than letting the competition drag, saying Guyton was "playing really, really well." Terence Steele remains the starter on the other side at right tackle, a spot he's held for most of the last four seasons. Elsewhere, edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku was pulled from a practice after an altercation with a teammate, an early reminder that the accountability standard from year one hasn't softened. On the field, running back Jaydon Blue and cornerback Cobie Durant have drawn praise as players who could outperform their draft slot and price tag once the games count.

One More Thing to Watch

Schottenheimer was a safe hire in year one — low-risk, culture-first, with modest external expectations attached. That framing doesn't survive into year two. With the defense rebuilt on paper and the offense returning intact, Dallas enters year two with a roster that should be capable of competing in the NFC East, not just for relevance. Jones standing by him buys Schottenheimer time with ownership. It doesn't buy patience from a fan base that's gone two straight years outside the playoffs, or erase the fact that a team that beat Kansas City 31-28 on Thanksgiving in front of a national audience still couldn't find its way into the postseason. Worth tracking as camp rolls into the preseason schedule.

What to Expect in 2026

It comes down to one question: does Christian Parker's defense turn from a camp buzzword into a unit that can actually get off the field on third down? If it does, Dallas has enough offensive talent — Prescott, Lamb, Pickens, and a full group of returning starters — to put itself in the playoff conversation in an NFC East that looks open heading into the season. If it doesn't, Schottenheimer will be the coach who upgraded everything except the results. Either way, year two won't be judged on culture. Check back for more coverage as the preseason schedule gets underway.

By Theo Marsh

Editorial Voice, The Doomsday Legacy