Cowboys' Schottenheimer on the hot seat before debut season even starts

The Dallas Cowboys surprised a whole lot of people by hiring Brian Schottenheimer as their head coach earlier this offseason, representing Schottenheimer's first-ever head-coaching job.

There were many who scratched their heads at the Cowboys' decision, but it's important to keep in mind that Schottenheimer has been a part of the staff since 2022, so there is familiarity there.

Nevertheless, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk seems to believe that Schottenheimer is already on the hot seat before his debut season in Dallas even begins.

"Usually, head coaches enjoy at least three years of guarantees. But there’s nothing usual about the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer," Florio wrote. "He was on exactly zero teams’ short lists during the latest hiring cycle. For the Cowboys, who wanted to have offensive continuity for quarterback Dak Prescott, it was either Schottenheimer or Eagles offensive coordinator (new Saints coach) Kellen Moore. Schottenheimer came cheaper."

Well, then that means Schottenheimer was on one team's short list: Dallas.

"How cheap? So cheap that there would be no buyout if he’s fired after one year? If so, Schottenheimer could need to do enough in 2025 to earn his employment for 2026," Florio concluded.

Essentially, Florio wonders about the details of Schottenheimer's contract with the Cowboys and whether or not Jerry Jones can merely cut him loose after one year without strings attached.

But based on how Jones has handled coaches in recent seasons, parting ways with Schottenheimer following his inaugural campaign seems incredibly unliklely, regardless of how Dallas plays.

The Cowboys went just 7-10 last year and have certainly made some improvements during the offseason, so perhaps Schottenheimer will help spearhead a nice bounceback season in Dallas.