The Cowboys endured a mixed bag in 2025, but can Brian Schottenheimer bring everything together in 2026?
The Dallas Cowboys are a fascinating look as we enter the offseason, and the predictions regarding what Brian Schottenheimer can do in Year 2 are varying.
After a 7-9-1 season and no playoffs in 2025, some think the Cowboys will continue to slide in Schotty's second year, mainly due to the defense.
Yes, Christian Parker is now the defensive coordinator, but this is his first time in such a role, so he will be calling plays for the first time.
So there are a lot of unknowns there. Still, Dallas deserves credit for the change in approach that led to Parker's hiring.
Much of the hope for 2026 lands squarely at the feet of the offense, and more importantly, Dak Prescott.
Coming off another Pro Bowl year, Dak was elite for most of 2025, as he led the offense with aplomb. But he had help.
CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams were the big three that terrorized defenses, and if the Cowboys can bring back George and Javonte, the offense will again be stacked.
And for ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the offense is a big reason why the Cowboys can turn things around in 2026.
"The offense was humming in 2025, and the core players will return, with the team expected to franchise-tag receiver Pickens," Fowler wrote. "Quarterback Dak Prescott is squarely in his prime under coach Brian Schottenheimer.
"The defensive line is stocked with talent, and Dallas has two first-round picks with which to address its defense because of the Micah Parsons trade."
For most, what Fowler has stated is nothing new.
And amid the optimism comes oddsmakers seeing Dallas as a borderline or even non-playoff team in 2026.
Most people know the offense is what will propel this team forward, but the big questions remain. Will the offense be the same?
Stephen Jones has already spoken of wanting to sign Javonte Williams to a multi-year deal, and Jerry has stated he wants Pickens to be a Cowboy for a long time.
You can make the case that if both are signed, then the offense will be expected to be as it was last season, but that is a big "if." Free agency starts in under a month, and in an ideal world, both would be signed to long-term deals, but we know it won't be that easy.
So the hope for how good Dallas can be rests on the offense, but only if the band is back together in 2026.
Which, right now, there is more hope that it will happen than being sure it will.