A pessimist's guide to the 2025 Dallas Cowboys

Hope is not a plan, especially in the NFL, but there’s no better word to describe the 2025 Dallas Cowboys. Here’s why the team could struggle once again in 2025.

1. Head Coach

New head coach Brian Schottenheimer, son of longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, takes over for Mike McCarthy this year. He has 14 years of NFL experience as an assistant with six teams, the last two as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator.

Given his resume, it’s fair to wonder why the 51-year-old took so long to become a head coach. Schottenheimer didn’t call plays for the Cowboys and hasn’t done so for any team since leading the Jacksonville Jaguars offense to a league-worst 14.9 points per game in 2021.

By staying in house for their new head coach, the Cowboys clearly believe that familiarity and continuity is what the veteran team needs, but a new voice and fresh ideas may have been the way to go.

2. Missing Parsons

Like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb before him, Pro Bowl defensive end Micah Parsons would like to receive an extension.

Parsons was present for the first week of OTAs but skipped the team’s most recent practices. Cowboys fans can only hope the 26-year-old pass-rusher keeps his word about showing up for training camp.

"I'll think I’ll still be around," Parsons recently told reporters, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. "For me, I've still gotta learn a playbook and I'm not so much of an iPad person where I can just keep learning, like I gotta walk through it. Maybe it's so much I might not be on the field part of it, but I'll be there learning, so that way I'm at least getting prepared to be ready for Week 1."

Contract negotiations are ongoing, but if team owner Jerry Jones decides to drag his feet as he did with Prescott and Lamb, don’t be surprised to see Parsons change his tune.

3. George Pickens

Teams don’t give up on 24-year-old No. 1 receivers, especially on rookie contracts. But the Pittsburgh Steelers did just that, sending Pickens to Dallas for a third-round pick in next year’s draft.

On the field, Pickens is known for taking bad penalties, losing his temper and not giving full effort on every play. Off the field, he's been late for meetings and games, which rubbed many of his teammates the wrong way.