The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025 offseason in search of answers. After finishing 7-10 and missing the playoffs, the team is undergoing significant changes in hopes of rediscovering its championship identity.
One of the most notable moves was the promotion of Brian Schottenheimer to head coach, replacing Mike McCarthy, whose contract was allowed to expire. Schottenheimer had served as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator the past two seasons, though McCarthy called the plays.
Now, Schottenheimer has the reins – and with that, the task of transforming a team plagued by underperformance on both sides of the ball.
In 2024, Dallas finished 23rd in PFSN’s Offense+ metric. The offense stumbled after quarterback Dak Prescott went down with an injury in Week 9. Without him, the team ranked 28th in passing success rate and 29th in EPA per dropback. CeeDee Lamb saw his numbers dip to 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns, while Rico Dowdle led the run game with 1,079 rushing yards.
But it wasn’t just the offense. The defense also crumbled, falling from a top-five unit over the previous three years to 25th in Defense+. Injuries and the departure of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn played key roles in the decline.
Stephen Jones remains confident in the team’s coaching choice
Despite Schottenheimer being a familiar face, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones believes the change at the top will bring a needed shift in culture.
“I think we’re always looking for ways to be better,” Jones told Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr.
“We always talk about culture, and everybody wants a winning culture. But I think changing it up is a good thing.
“Nothing but respect for Coach McCarthy and Coach Garrett and what they brought in the past. But we’ve got to take this thing to the next level.”
The Cowboys haven’t reached the NFC Championship Game – let alone a Super Bowl – since their last title in 1995. Both McCarthy and Garrett made the playoffs three times during their respective tenures, but neither could get Dallas over the hump. Schottenheimer now inherits that challenge.
Prescott’s recovery is progressing well, and he’s expected to be ready for the 2025 season. The quarterback will need a bounce-back year after ranking 30th in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
To help, Dallas traded for wide receiver George Pickens, giving Prescott and Lamb a potentially explosive duo.
Still, a major concern looms: the contract status of Micah Parsons. The All-Pro edge rusher is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and the longer the Cowboys wait to extend him, the more expensive it could become.
Culture change may be the Cowboys’ theme this offseason, but locking down their defensive cornerstone should be their top priority.
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