In Year 1 of the Brian Schottenheimer era, the Dallas Cowboys finished with a record of 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. This also marked 30 years since Jerry Jones last assembled a Super Bowl-winning team.
In his first year as head coach, the Cowboys had one of the best offenses in the league, largely due to Schottenheimer’s play-calling. However, the team’s defense struggled significantly, ranking 30th in total yards allowed (377.0), 23rd in rushing yards allowed (125.5), and last in both passing yards allowed (251.5) and points allowed (30.1).
Before the year began, the team made headlines by trading star pass rusher Micah Parsons. During the season, they also released former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, who was subsequently picked up by the Green Bay Packers but was later released by them as well. This has led USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz to project that the Cowboys will select former second-team All-American cornerback Jermod McCoy.
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"One year after rolling the dice on a cornerback with medical concerns in third-rounder Shavon Revel Jr., Jerry Jones does so again with much higher stakes," Middlehurst-Schwartz said. "McCoy sat out all last season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in January, but his coverage credentials are unimpeachable."
As Middlehurst-Schwartz noted, there are significant health concerns regarding McCoy. He missed the entire 2025 season after tearing his ACL during offseason workouts in January. However, at the NFL combine, he stated that he is fully healthy and has no limitations.
If McCoy returns to pre-injury form, he could anchor a retooled secondary and help reverse Dallas’ defensive decline. If not, the gamble would further spotlight the urgency surrounding a franchise still chasing its first Super Bowl title in three decades.