For a team and a team owner who love the headlines and all the attention they can get, even Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys must admit that the Brian Schottenheimer blowback may be a bit too much.
The Cowboys on Friday announced Schottenheimer as the 10th head coach in franchise history, two seasons after he oversaw the second-best offensive output in the 65-year history of the team. Schottenheimer replaces Mike McCarthy, for whom he was offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024 — and the reaction to his appointment has been met with bewilderment around the NFL, especially from the Cowboys’ demanding fanbase.
Dez Bryant rips Jones and Schottenheimer: I don’t know how to feel right now
Former NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant played for the Cowboys between 2011 and 2017, and the three-time Pro Bowl selection has never been shy about expressing his true feelings in interviews or on social media. Bryant took to X/Twitter on Saturday to criticize the Schottenheimer hiring — which came amidst speculation linking the Cowboys to their former star cornerback Deion Sanders.
“I honestly don’t know how to feel right now,” Bryant said, questioning Jones‘ committment to winning in 2025. “Maybe the coach is good, maybe he’s not, but my energy (toward) how the Cowboys have been mixing things doesn’t feel like success anytime soon.”
The withering reality check of the Schottenheimer hire comes two weeks after Bryant crushed Jones for the perception that he is prioritizing “politics instead of winning”. The Cowboys have not won a Super Bowl since 1995; Dallas has not participated in a conference championship game since that season, either. Jones has become well-known for a “refusal to pay coaches”, which played into his decision not to trigger Sanders’ $10 million buyout at Colorado.
Despite his wealth of NFL and NCAA coaching experience, this is the first time in his career that Schottenheimer has held a head coaching position. The son of late coaching legend Marty Schottenheimer, Brian‘s turn in the spotlight could produce success the likes of which he has never overseen…or more of the same for a Dallas team that is starved for the ultimate success.