Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer at training camp press conference at the River Ridge Fields. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Brian Schottenheimer: 'Nothing's changed' for Cowboys post-Micah Parsons trade

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 9:03 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys will officially kick off their 2025-26 NFL campaign in less than a week on Thursday, September 4, against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Dallas will be without superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons when they take the field, following a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers.

Despite the major shakeup on the roster, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is doing his best to keep the team focused on the goals that have already been laid out for the season.

Parsons spoke to the media following Friday's practice to discuss the trade and kept his stance that "nothing's changed" for the team. Schottenheimer reached out to individual players and team leaders to let them know about the Parsons trade and to prepare them for the next steps.

"I wanted them to hear my voice,” Schottenheimer said, via Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com. "You never know how guys are going to take news like that, but I thought it was important for them to know two things: I’m a connections guy, [and] I’m not afraid to have hard conversations.

"Nothing’s changed, my goals haven’t changed, our team goals haven’t changed. I hit the players on that today after I talked about the tough couple days for all the guys. It doesn’t change, the standard is the standard."

That's the attitude Schottenheimer has to have and instill on his team. The Parsons news sent shockwaves through the league one week before the regular season kicks off and Schottenheimer needs to keep the team focused.

We'll see how focused and prepared the Cowboys are in a matter of days. Kickoff between the Cowboys and Eagles is set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.