Things aren’t good for the Dallas Cowboys, especially with head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Dallas is coming off an embarrassing 33-30 Week 8 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cowboys had a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter that they ended up blowing.
That loss only put Schottenheimer on one of the hottest seats in the NFL after yet another horrific loss. With things looking bleak for him, the question is whether the Cowboys could make a move midseason to fire him. Dallas fans shouldn’t count on it.
Brian Schottenheimer Getting Fired Narrative Hits a Wall With Dallas Cowboys
Many Cowboys fans believe something has to change and that Schottenheimer should be fired. ESPN NFL reporter Dan Graziano wrote that it is an overreaction to say that Schottenheimer won’t finish the season as the head coach.
“Jerry Jones hasn’t fired a head coach in-season since 2010, when he replaced Wade Phillips with Jason Garrett at midseason with the team at 1-7. Jones has said multiple times in the 16 years since that he regretted that decision. It’s just not a thing we should expect him to do, and he publicly backed his coach postgame.
This is an incredibly disappointing Cowboys team, and the bloom does appear to be off Schottenheimer after his promising first season. It’s certainly possible he won’t get a third year as Cowboys head coach if this doesn’t turn around. But I do believe very strongly that Schottenheimer will get the chance to do it.”
Schottenheimer is 10-14-1 as head coach, and 2026 is his second season on the job. The Cowboys are 3-5 and in second place in the NFC East.
Jerry Jones Opens Up About Brian Schottenheimer’s Status as Cowboys Head Coach
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones faced the media after the game and fielded multiple questions about Schottenheimer’s future. Jones made it clear that Schottenheimer is the head coach.
“That’s not in my mind at this time,” Jones said. “This is an indictment of the whole show … This is a criticism of everyone.”
“I’m not proud of it, but I made a change with Wade Phillips there in the middle of the season,” Jones added. “I don’t see that here at all.”
“I will say that a lot of people let Brian down today. For whatever criticism we have of Brian, we can all get in line.”
Jones responded to a question about whether he is worried about Schottenheimer.
“Well, I don’t know,” Jones said. “None of us are getting it done and that should be my concern. So I’m not pointing at Schotty, I’m not pointing to anybody, but none of us have it done. I haven’t been involved in too many games that we should have wanted and we had the opportunities we had to win this game. So that is a big snapshot that we want to put above our mirror.”
Dallas has a chance to bounce back in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts. Schottenheimer might be safe for now, but he can’t lose that game. If he does, maybe a midseason change could be in place.
Brian Schottenheimer Narrative Gets Shut Down Despite Cowboys’ Week 8 Collapse