A new report ranks Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer near the bottom of the league. But the criticism isn't just about his 7-9-1 record. The ranking directly links the team's struggles to owner Jerry Jones, continuing a three-decade trend of frustration in Dallas.

The report is mostly critical of Jerry Jones' leadership, which has a like-minded effect on the Dallas Cowboys head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, and his team as a whole.

“The Dallas sky did not fall during Brian Schottenheimer’s first year on the job. It did not brighten, either," according to Patrick Daugherty of the RotoWorld Football Show. "If the initial reaction of “why didn’t they just let a fan coach the team” was a little over the top for an assistant with 25 years of NFL experience, it was still directionally accurate.”

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys were under head coach Mike McCarthy, the present Pittsburgh Steelers head coach from 2020 to 2025. During that period, Schottenheimer served as the offensive coordinator under McCarthy in 2023, after joining the Cowboys as a consultant in 2022. 

“Schottenheimer exceeded expectations only because there weren’t any," Daugherty continued. "A team that used to dream of Super Bowls now seems content to break parking and concessions records. If you’re wondering, “what does any of that have to do with Brian Schottenheimer,” the answer is nothing."

For Schottenheimer, such numbers aren't the benchmark, but a baseline to start from.

It has been nearly three decades since the Cowboys last won a Super Bowl, and with limited postseason success in recent years, it’s no surprise that fans are growing increasingly frustrated.

And as per the report, it is more or less attributed to the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones.

"The 2025 squad might have gone 7-9-1, but Dak Prescott stayed healthy," the piece concluded. "They won the George Pickens trade. They didn’t hire the very worst coach in football. Congratulations. To whom, we aren’t exactly sure."

In spite of the criticism associated with Brian Schottenheimer, there is no denying the fact that he will have an important role in developing plans for the upcoming draft season.

Under his coaching, the offense had a very impressive 2025 season. With Christian Parker now at the defensive helm, 2026 could look a lot stronger.

Schottenheimer's Role in the Draft Plan for 2026

Brian Schottenheimer's increasing participation in drafting players and drawing strategies for the game has made his position more assertive on the team for the upcoming season.

He was present at the Texas Longhorns Pro Day, interacting with Steve Sarkisian, head football coach for the University of Texas Longhorns, and David Mulugheta.

“Getting to know all of the prospects… From Stephen and Jerry [Jones] down… they’ve done a great job of setting the board, and now I’m kind of going through all the positions,” he said during the recent NFL Annual Meeting.

Schottenheimer, along with Will McClay and Christian Parker, have been actively traveling during the Pro Day period, visiting the University of Miami, the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, and Texas Tech University in four days.

The head coach's heavy involvement and growing presence in the team, in just his second year with the Dallas Cowboys, appears to be a good sign for the upcoming season.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote