Jerry Jones reveals six reasons for Cowboys optimism, shifting from the funeral of 2025 to a powerful party of potential in 2026.
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys' 2025 season didn't just end.
It died. A slow and painful death.
A 34-17 Week 18 loss to the New York Giants cemented a 7-9-1 finish, keeping Dallas out of the playoffs and under .500 for the second straight year.
The defense was a weekly manic fire drill. Special teams were unpredictable, with even stars Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin struggling. And the offense, while good enough to win most Sundays, left points on the field all year - and last in the season could barely score at all in a series of second halves.
On Wednesday here inside The Star came the postmortem, with Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and coach Brian Schottenheimer sharing the press conference stage to eulogize 2025 ...
And to put the funeral mood behind them in order to celebrate a new start in 2026.
That, of course, comes with optimism, for every team every year. Specific to Dallas?
Schottenheimer's take is about what could've been and what could still be: 'We're good enough to be playing this weekend (in the playoffs). But we didn't play good enough.''
On that topic, Jones' take is six-fold, with that many reasons for optimism.
“I’m disappointed that we aren’t in the playoffs,'' he said before rattling off the upset of where the Cowboys stand. In order, from him ...
1. Brian Schottenheimer in charge.
"There are reasons for optimism,'' Jerry said. "Brian Schottenheimer is one of the reasons why our fans can be excited about our future”.
2. The best-ever of Dak Prescott.
"I think I saw Dak at the best I've ever seen this year,'' Jerry said.
3. The behind-the-scenes coaching staff.
Even still, Schottenheimer conceded that "the standard was not achieved'' by this staff.
4. A focused plan on replacing the fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
Jerry revealed that he "held a party'' to celebrate the signing of Eberflus a year ago.
And now?
Schottenheimer insists Dallas will "cast a wide net of candidates ... We wanna find someone who's a great teacher and a great communicator ... who's passionate about football, and who can take complicated information and to communicate it. ... that's the starting point for me."
5. The top-ranked offense - and the planned return of key pieces.
Two key free agents are George Pickens and Javonte Williams.
Jerry said of Pickens: "Outstanding ... We don't have (behavioral) issues (as the Steelers did in trading him here) ...''
(I continue to be told that the "easy step'' to re-sign Pickens starts with the $28 million franchise tag.)
COO Stephen Jones added that Javonte is "at the top of our list" to re-sign to a multi-year extension.''
6. The assets gained in return for the Micah Parsons trade to Green Bay.
"The very best of what we were trying to get involving the Micah Parsons trade is all out there ahead of us,'' Jones said. "It's all ahead of us. We've got some of it on the field already. We're gonna get more of it on the field and in the draft. The very best of the trade is out there."
It can be argued that Dallas never found a true "signature win.'' The lone victory over a playoff team came against the division-rival Eagles, and even that one required a 21-0 comeback that felt less like dominance and more like Philadelphia's 2025 habit of forgetting how to score after halftime.
It can also be argued that Dallas' defense never found an "identity'' on the way to this week's firing of coordinator Matt Eberflus.
But to me, "signature'' and "identity'' are empty platitudes. Dallas doesn't need "signatures'' and "identities.''
Dallas needs better coaching and better players.
Until it shows up on the field, I put Schottenheimer's pledge toward his beloved "culture'' in the same category.
The only way I measure "culture'' - the only way anyone who is being honest can - is by success.
This year's Cowboys team won seven games - the exact same number that last year's team won under dismissed coach Mike McCarthy.
Moving forward, the result is an offseason that starts with more questions than answers, and two obvious obsessions ... the 2026 NFL Draft and NFL free agency.
And Jerry is right about the assets.
Dallas has the No. 12 overall pick in April, with a second first-rounder coming to the Cowboys via the Parsons trade. (That pick, should the Packers lose in the first round of the playoffs, would lock in at No. 20.
(COO Stephen Jones hinted that the Cowboys could in theory use their two first-round picks on the defensive side of the ball.)
Dallas also has the capacity to create $110 million in cap room. So in addition to signing George Pickens and Brandon Aubrey (I'd say for certain), they can also afford to retain the likes of Jadeveon Clowney and Javonte Williams.
And yes, they can buy a bundle of other players in free agency and trades, too.
Said Jones on free-agency aggressiveness: "If we have an opportunity, we're going to take advantage. ... We're not going to keep it in our back pocket.''
And if that becomes true? The "funeral'' can turn into a "party.''