Brian Schottenheimer sets new course for Cowboys shifting away from Mike McCarthy’s system

Brian Schottenheimer has been in the spotlight ahead of his first year as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He previously spent two years as Mike McCarthy's assistant before replacing him in January.

After Wednesday's OTA session, Schottenheimer spoke to reporters about setting a new course for the Cowboys while building on McCarthy's foundation.

"The bones of it is still very similar," Schottenheimer said. "There's going to be changes. That's part of football. That's whether there's a coaching change or not. ... We're going to be multiple. The system is going to be built on what we do well.

"I think it's a little bit where if you have to have your system, then I think to me, just my opinion, your system should be flexible enough to where you adjust some things but you keep some things in place. Because it's our job as coaches, we spend more time on it than the players do."

Dallas finished the 2024 season with a 7-10 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs. After the season, it did not opt to renew McCarthy's contract, which had expired.

In his five seasons with the team, McCarthy led the Cowboys to a 49-35 record, including three playoff appearances. However, Dallas never made it past the divisional round under him.

Brian Schottenheimer makes bold statements on "tweaking" Cowboys QB Dak Prescott's game

Dallas Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer - Source: Getty

Brian Schottenheimer made some bold comments about Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on Thursday, suggesting that the QB was still in his "developmental" phase.

"I think Dak is in the developmental phase," Schottenheimer said. "And that sounds crazy for a guy who's played that much, but there are things we're tweaking with Dak."

Many felt that Schottenheimer's comments were disrespectful toward Prescott, who is entering his 10th year in the NFL next season. Moreover, the QB is the highest-paid player in the league, earning $60 million in annual average value of his five-year $240 million extension.

Prescott has played 122 NFL regular-season games in his career with the Cowboys, amassing a 76-46 record. He also has a 2-5 record in the playoffs.

It will be interesting to see how Prescott fares under Schottenheimer next season.