It wasn't the best season for Schottenheimer in his first year in the chair, but let's not make out like he was handed a super team to chase a Super Bowl with.
You can make the case that Year 1 for Brian Schottenheimer as Dallas Cowboys head coach went about as well as it could have, considering the circumstances.
An offseason that had waves of positivity after the George Pickens trade gave fans some hope that maybe 2025 could develop into something.
But the rug was pulled out when Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers with Kenny Clark coming the other way.
If some had the Cowboys as playoff contenders, well, that notion ended when Micah left.
A 7-9-1 record saw the Cowboys miss out on the playoffs after a year that saw the franchise deal with the loss of Marshawn Kneeland, which heaped even more onto the plate of Schottenheimer.
So yes, the Cowboys weren't good in 2025, and Brian played a role in that, and The Athletic's Josh Kendall and Chad Graff have Dallas at No. 21 in their latest power rankings, but their takeaway is off the mark...by a long way.
They cite that "Dallas isn't relevant, and it's sad."
"Brian Schottenheimer wasn’t bad (surprisingly?) in his first season as head coach, but he couldn’t do what Mike McCarthy and Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips and Bill Parcells and, well, you get it, couldn’t do before him: make this team meaningful again," The Athletic writes. "Dallas has five playoff wins and zero conference title game appearances since 1995."
Right, there's a bit to work through here.
Firstly, Dallas isn't relevant? Since when?
Do we remember what and who was the talk of the town in San Francisco the week of the Super Bowl? I'll give you a hint: it wasn't Seattle or New England.
So that settles that part.
But then to Schottenheimer and his inability to get this team to the playoffs.
Granted on face value, that lands at his feet, but let's not pretend he was handed a star team in 2025. Dallas finished 7-10 with Mike McCarthy in 2024.
Then you trade away his best player before the season starts, and you're behind the eight ball.
But you can make the case he's made Dallas "meaningful again" simply because of the offense.
We do remember that after the Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in consecutive weeks, why people were saying no one wanted to play Dallas if it made the postseason, right?
Because the offense could tear you apart.
So yes, Schottenheimer deserves blame for not getting the Cowboys to the playoffs in his first season, but let us not kid ourselves that Dallas is never relevant or meaningful.
Because that day will never come. Jerry won't allow it.