The Dallas Cowboys made several additions during the offseason, but few have impressed head coach Brian Schottenheimer as quickly as Rashan Gary who could perhaps fill the void left by Micah Parsons.

Speaking to the reporters during the OTA media session, Schottenheimer praised the veteran pass rusher’s leadership and professionalism, and hyped him to be ‘a great player.'

"HC Brian Schottenheimer says new Edge Rusher Rashan Gary is "a grown-a** man" and has been "blown away" by his professionalism,” per X post of The Cowboys Network.

ESPN’s Brian Todd asked Schottenheimer during the June 4 OTA sessions regarding the pass rusher room of the Cowboys and how confident the HC feels about it. 

Schottenheimer expressed confidence in the pass-rush roster they have at present, with Rashan Gary, James Houston, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Malachi Lawrence. He also praised Gary as one of the players that he feels excited to work with.

“You just watch him work,” Schottenheimer said to Todd. “He understands what work ethic takes to be a great player, and I'm really, really excited about that.”

Rashan Gary was traded by the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick in March. 

He recorded 7.5 sacks, 45 tackles (25 solo), 7 tackles for loss, and 20 QB hits in 16 games played in 2025 with the Packers. He has consistently recorded six sacks or more in the past five years. 

Reunited with defensive tackle Kenny Clark from the Packers and defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who was a defensive quality control coach for the Packers from 2019 to 2020.  

With Schottenheimer impressed by his work ethic and leadership, the Pro Bowler is projected to be a key player in Parker's defense scheme.

Familiarity With Parker's Scheme Gives Gary an Edge

Rashan Gary's familiarity with the scheme may be one of the biggest reasons the Cowboys believe he can make an immediate impact.

According to Kurt Daniels of DallasCowboys.com, Gary is a seamless fit in Parker's 3-4 defensive scheme, as he has the familiarity of working in the same system with the Packers and also with Parker's coaching style.

Josh Sanchez of Sports Illustrated also shared a similar opinion, that adding Gary was 'a steal for Dallas,' and he is returning to a scheme he was best at.

"Under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, Dallas' pass rush will be a group effort, and Gary will be an important part of the team's rotation," Sanchez wrote. "And it didn't cost a future All-Pro, a first-round pick, and more."

With familiarity already built into the equation and proven elite production, the Cowboys may have landed one of the better pass-rush players during the offseason.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote