The Dallas Cowboys‘ decision to promote offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach has raised eyebrows, with many questioning whether Jerry Jones has a long-term vision behind the move. Among those skeptical about the hire is former NFL quarterback Cam Newton, who believes the Cowboys may have a hidden agenda.
During a segment on ESPN’s First Take, Newton suggested that Jones is playing a calculated game, positioning the team to tank in 2025, ultimately securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
But that’s not all-Newton also speculated that Jones might pull out his biggest move yet by bringing in legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban to replace Schottenheimer after a single season. Newton made his stance clear during the broadcast.
“I think they’re tanking for Arch. Make it make sense. Coach Schottenheimer has one-and-done written all over him,” he said.
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According to Newton, Jones is setting up the Cowboys for a radical transformation, one that would allow him to pair Manning-who is part of football’s royal family-with one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, Nick Saban.
“Ok, why do you want one and done? You get the first pick of the draft,” Newton continued. “Not only that, I’m going to go back into my godfather bag and say, ‘Ok, Jerry Jones is a businessman, and he’s going to get into his Don Corleone mentality and he’s going to give him a deal he can’t refuse. Who? Nick Saban. Go get Nick Saban as your head coach and Arch Manning as your No. 1 pick.'”
Newton’s bold take left Stephen A. Smith momentarily speechless, but after thinking it over, he admitted it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.
“I don’t know that he’s wrong,” Smith admitted. “He might be on to something. I don’t know.”
Could his really Happen?
While Newton’s theory is entertaining, some of his fellow panelists pointed out the glaring issue with this scenario-Dak Prescott. The Cowboys’ current franchise quarterback signed a four-year, $240 million extension last September, making it highly unlikely he would be on board for a tanking season.
However, Newton didn’t see Prescott as a roadblock in this hypothetical situation. He redirected attention to Schottenheimer, suggesting that the bigger problem for Dallas is their new head coach’s leadership abilities.
“This is not about Dak Prescott (as much as) it’s about Coach Schottenheimer,” Newton argued. “Why is it about Coach Schottenheimer? Because Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons. How are you going to control those stars?
“To this point, Coach Schottenheimer, bro, you ain’t have a rep. Who are you?”