When Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones let former head coach Mike McCarthy go and replaced him with Brian Schottenheimer, it took many by surprise.
McCarthy had a track record of winning — he went 12-5 in his first three seasons with the team — and Schottenheimer had zero head coaching experience.
But Jones urged his fans to give their new head coach the benefit of the doubt.
However, after putting up a 7-9-1 record in his first season with the team despite having the No. 2 offense in the NFL — Dak Prescott threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns, Javonte Williams rushed for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns, and George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb logged 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, and 1,077 yards and three TDs, respectively — many are ready for Schottenheimer to walk.
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Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith is among them.
During a recent appearance on the “Deebo & Joe” podcast, Smith casted some serious doubt on Schottenheimer being the guy to lead the team back to prominence.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with them boys,” Smith said. “You know how the locker room is. I look at the Pittsburgh Steelers as a championship organization just like the San Francisco 49ers. You know how to win.
“You know what the culture look like and players come in [with] what’s to expect. I don’t have to tell you. Because your leadership is going from top down. I don’t know if we [Cowboys] have that kind of leadership from top down.”
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While Schottenheimer may have gotten a pass in Year 1, if he doesn’t show signs of improvement in 2026, his seat will likely start getting hotter.
Prescott will be 33 before next season starts, the team has 15 pending free agents including Pickens, Williams, linebacker Kenneth Murray, edge-rushers Dante Fowler Jr. and Jadeveon Clowney, and defensive lineman Sam Williams — and the team has won just four playoff games since 1997.