The Dallas Cowboys are in an uncertain spot after losing 33-30 in overtime to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8.
That left the Cowboys at 3-5 and with more questions than they would like to answer at the halfway point of the season. Many point to the job that head coach Brian Schottenheimer has done with the team.
While there have been calls for Schottenheimer to lose his job, the Jones family is sticking by their head coach’s side, hoping he can be the problem solver he claims to be. A Cowboys legend might have an idea of what the team can do to win games again.
Troy Aikman Talks Dallas Cowboys 2026 Struggles
Former Cowboys quarterback and ESPN NFL broadcaster Troy Aikman appeared on 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas to talk about the team’s struggles. Aikman has a solution to offer the Cowboys to fix their recent woes.
“Obviously this is not where anyone envisioned they would be, so they’re talking about a lot of things they didn’t anticipate they would be talking about, but that’s kind of life in the NFL,” Aikman said via The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt. “I know these last couple of weeks have been tough on everybody and certainly tough on Brian Schottenheimer as well with a lot of questions he’s had to answer. The only way to fix all that and cure it is to go win a football game and hopefully put it behind you.”
“Obviously this is not where anyone envisioned they would be, so they’re talking about a lot of things they didn’t anticipate they would be talking about, but that’s kind of life in the NFL.
The Cowboys have lost three of the last four games and currently have the NFL’s worst defense. Their offense still ranks 13th in the league.
Cowboys Not Hitting the Panic Button Yet on 2026
While the calls for Schottenheimer are real from the outside, that’s not happening within the organization. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones addressed it earlier this week.
“I don’t think you fire somebody just to send a message. If it’s something there that you make a change because it’ll make us better in the long haul then you certainly have to take a look at it. … I’m into making changes when it makes you better.”
After the Cardinals game, owner and general manager Jerry Jones also addressed it. Jones is not a fan of making a change right now.
“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.”
While the Joneses have no concerns right now, a Week 9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts could change that. It could be big trouble for Schottenheimer if he can’t beat a team in a fire sale.
Troy Aikman Delivered Blunt Solution to Cowboys’ 2026 Season Struggles