Dallas Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones, head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and owner Jerry Jones speak to the media at a press conference at the Star. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Highly criticized offseason move named Cowboys' biggest reason for optimism

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 9:20 AM ET

2024 was a season to forget for Dallas Cowboys fans.

After sitting through a torturous offseason where Jerry Jones proved he doesn't know what the term "all-in" means, they watched one star player after another succumb to injury. The final result was a 7-10 campaign, which led to changes in the front office.

Mike McCarthy wasn't retained as head coach, with Brian Schottenheimer replacing him. That was easily their most criticized move of the offseason, but Schottenheimer won over some critics with a collection of solid assistants.

The Cowboys also made a splash via trade, adding George Pickens. The addition of another playmaking wide receiver seems like a good choice for their primary source of optimism this season, but that's not the direction Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox took.

Knox chose the biggest reason for hope for all 32 teams, and for Dallas, he went with their overly-criticized new coaching staff.

"After opting not to re-sign Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys instead pivoted to Brian Schottenheimer. While there's no guarantee that Schottenheimer will deliver better results than McCarthy did, he'll at least bring something different to the table."

It's not much of an endorsement, but Knox said the change on the sidelines might be the only thing that keeps 2025 from being a repeat of 2024.

Of course, that statement doesn't feel fair considering they did bring in a new weapon on offense. They're also expecting Dak Prescott to return to full health and have a couple of new weapons on the defensive line. That being said, maybe it's a good sign that Schottenheimer offers more hope than all of that.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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