The Dallas Cowboys have completed an interview with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer for the head coach position, and momentum is building toward his receiving an offer.
Dallas announced on Tuesday that an in-person interview with Schottenheimer had been completed, though the organization did not provide any more details about the process.
Schottenheimer joins a short list of interviews the Cowboys have conducted during this cycle, including meetings with Robert Saleh, Leslie Frazier, and Kellen Moore, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Many would be surprised to hear if Schottenheimer is chosen, as the expectation entering the offseason was that the team would pursue a well-known and established head coach.
However, new reports indicate that the Cowboys will meet with Schottenheimer for a second interview, indicating that he is in a small group of candidates for the role, per Ian Rapoport.
The news of a second interview comes shortly after Shan Shariff of 105.3 The FAN, a radio station in which Cowboys owner Jerry Jones makes weekly appearances, reported that “an offer could be coming soon” for Schottenheimer.
While there is reason to be optimistic about Schottenheimer as the Cowboys’ potential head coach, such as his relationship with the front office and players, there are still major concerns about whether he is the right person for the job.
The biggest concern about Schottenheimer’s potential as the Cowboys’ next head coach is his lack of overall production during his previous tenures.
Schottenheimer spent six seasons as the offensive coordinator of the New York Jets from 2006 until 2011. During that span, the team failed to rank once within the top 10 for yards per game.
His Jets offense ranked in the top 10 in points per game just once during his tenure, as the team finished 13th or worse in every other season during his time in New York.
Following his time with the Jets, Schottenheimer spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, where the team’s offense was among the least productive in the league.
St. Louis failed to finish any of those seasons ranked within the top 20 in the league in passing and yards per game.
Schottenheimer then took three seasons off from the offensive coordinator position and worked in different roles with the University of Georgia and the Indianapolis Colts.
These three years away from the role ended when he accepted a job as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in 2018.
Schottenheimer had the most success in his playcalling career with the Seahawks, leading the offense to three top-10 offenses in points per game and one top-10 offense in yards per game.
However, much of this success came in the Seahawks’ rushing attack as Schottenheimer struggled to develop a consistent passing attack with quarterback Russell Wilson.
While this aspect of offense has not always been important for overall team success in the NFL, it is becoming increasingly important as the league transitions into a more pass-oriented style of offense.
Seattle opted to move on from Schottenheimer following the 2020 season, prompting the coordinator to accept a role with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 before starting with Dallas in 2022.
Although the Cowboys’ offense ranked well with Schottenheimer serving as the offensive coordinator, former head coach Mike McCarthy handled the bulk of the game management.
McCarthy took over the duty of play calling for the offense during the 2023 and 2024 seasons despite Schottenheimer being on his staff, meaning Schottenheimer was not directly responsible for the product on the field during those seasons.
A large portion of Schottenheimer’s struggles with other teams can be attributed to situational context, but the Cowboys would still be taking a major risk by choosing to sign him as the organization’s next head coach.