Despite a 2-3 start, there isn’t a whole lot of chatter around the league about Brian Schottenheimer’s job security with the Dallas Cowboys. In Dallas, the focus is on changes the Cowboys could make to their defensive coaching staff, particularly after the team already made one following Week 5.
In the NFC East, the focus is on Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders and Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles. Unlike Schottenheimer, both head coaches made significant in-game coaching decisions that directly led to their teams not winning last weekend.
But it might not be long until Schottenheimer is on a more real hot seat. That’s what CBS Sports’s Bryan DeArdo argued while placing Schottenheimer in a lower spot on his NFL coaching hot-seat rankings.
Ahead of Week 6, the Cowboys head coach came in at No. 7 on DeArdo’s list.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures. Immediately after last Thursday’s embarrassing loss to the previously winless Buccaneers, Schottenheimer announced that changes were coming for the 2-3 Cowboys,” wrote DeArdo.
“Among the changes were the hiring of Mike Pettine as senior defensive assistant and the move of defensive coordinator Christian Parker from the coach’s booth to the sideline. Dallas’ defense took matters into its own hands with a player-led meeting on Monday.
“Schottenheimer and company enter a season-defining stretch of their schedule with consecutive prime-time road games against the Packers and Eagles. Rest assured that the outcomes of those games will shape Schottenheimer’s job security.”
After dropping last Thursday night’s game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys fell to 9-12-1 under Schottenheimer. Dallas has featured an elite offense under the head coach who celebrates his 53rd birthday Friday. But the Cowboys defense is 31st in yards allowed this season after being 30th during 2025.
Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer on NFL Hot Seat Entering Week 6?
To put DeArdo’s Schottenheimer hot seat assessment in another way, it’s too early to put the Cowboys head coach firmly on the chopping block. At least, he’s not as close to the knife on the block as several other head coaches.
But what happens over the next few weeks is going to impact Schottenheimer’s job status.
That seems to be a pretty fair assessment. The Cowboys have two more primetime games both on the road upcoming over the next two weeks. First, they will visit the Green Bay Packers and then the Eagles.
It wasn’t long ago that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was seemingly feeling a warm coaching seat. But the Packers have won two in a row.
Sirianni does have a warm seat with the Eagles after three consecutive losses.
The Cowboys probably need to earn a split to avoid Schottenheimer getting major heat in Dallas and nationally. Both games are winnable, though, and could change the complexion of not only Schottenheimer’s job status but the team’s season.
It would be better for Dallas’ hopes of winning the NFC East to defeat the Eagles.
Cowboys Have Players-Only Meeting
Bigger than any pundit’s NFL head coach hot seat rankings, Schottenheimer might have gotten put on notice another way this week.
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown shared with The Athletic’s Jon Machota the Cowboys had a players-only meeting on defense after the loss to the Buccaneers. The point of the meeting was to hold each other accountable.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed what a players-only meeting for a club means while appearing on The New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce.
“I think [it means] you’re dead,” Tomlin said with the Kelce brothers laughing in response. “If it did occur, I’d like to not know about it. The fact that you hear about it is what makes it BS.”
When addressing the meeting with the media, Schottenheimer stressed the positive impact the meeting could have on the defense.
“The pride of that unit is strong. There’s some really, really prideful men in that room and we’re going to get it fixed,” Schottenheimer told reporters, via Machota. “I have no question about that. But it doesn’t bother me at all. It means everyone’s rowing in the same direction trying to get this thing fixed.”
The Cowboys can prove over the next two weeks that they aren’t dead. If they don’t, their head coach could feel the most impact with a hot seat.
Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer Put on Notice in NFL Coaching Hot-Seat Rankings