Brian Schottenheimer is still early in his tenure as Dallas Cowboys head coach. In this market, early does not mean safe.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon placed Schottenheimer in the “warm” category in an early-season hot-seat check of all 32 NFL coaches.
“The Joneses have actually given head coaches long leashes dating back to the end of the Dave Campo era,” Gagnon wrote. “Jerry might be losing patience, though. They could blow it all up if Schottenheimer posts a second straight losing season in 2026.”
Schottenheimer went 7-9-1 in 2025, his first season after being promoted from offensive coordinator. Dallas missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
The Cowboys were 6-5-1 entering December, then lost four of their final five games. Dak Prescott threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns. The defense collapsed.Dallas allowed 30.1 points per game, last in the league, and 511 points overall.
That defensive failure defined the season more than the offense’s production.
Owner Jerry Jones fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after the year and hired Christian Parker. The offense was never the main problem.
Schottenheimer is 7-10-1 overall after an 0-1 start to 2026. A poor Week 1 performance quickly revived questions about whether Year 2 will look different.
Jones has historically been slow to fire coaches after Dave Campo’s three losing seasons from 2000 to 2002. Jason Garrett lasted a decade. Mike McCarthy lasted five years despite a 1-3 playoff record.
Patience has limits when the Super Bowl drought sits at three decades. Dallas has not won a playoff game since January 2023.
The roster still has Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. That is not a rebuilding group. It is a team built to reach January.
Schottenheimer has said he expected to compete for a Super Bowl in Year 1. He did not. He has also said the failure starts with him.
Another losing record would be the franchise’s third straight season without the playoffs. That would be hard for Jones to sell as progress.
A playoff berth would likely buy time. A second 7-9-type finish might not.Gagnon’s warning is simple.
In Dallas, the leash is long until it is not. 2026 will test how much patience remains.
