As Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated shared, new Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer became a bit emotional when he learned that starting quarterback Dak Prescott and multiple other players were in attendance for his introductory news conference earlier this week.
Prescott later spoke about why he’s supportive of a decision that has earned Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones quite a bit of criticism among fans and analysts.
“[Schottenheimer] means a lot to me,” Prescott explained, per Mickey Spagnola of the Cowboys’ website. “He’s been a consistent man, and I think that’s a part of why he’s gotten this job in his time being here. So, somebody that shows you the character that is consistent with what they do, that is supportive to me. Anything that has happened to me these three years on the field or off the field, I got a message or check-in on that.”
Schottenheimer was Dallas’ offensive coordinator for the past two seasons but has never served as a head coach. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted before the hiring of Schottenheimer that Prescott wanted “continuity” and didn’t want “to learn a new offense” after the 31-year-old agreed to a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $240M with $231M guaranteed this past September.
“The simple conversation I had with Jerry, post the decision of [former head coach Mike McCarthy] walking, was simply that, the continuity. They wanted to keep continuity,” Prescott acknowledged. “Obviously had a lot of success with this group, with these men, and knew this was important to me. And Schotty has been a huge factor in that, setting up the game plan, creating the game plan. If you wanted to find continuity in place, look no further than Schotty.”
Under Schottenheimer and McCarthy, Prescott emerged as a 2023 Most Valuable Player finalist before his 2024 campaign ended prematurely because of a hamstring injury. Prescott mentioned how he spoke with Jones about endorsing Schottenheimer before what’s become a controversial choice was finalized.
“We’ve had some tough conversations,” Prescott said about his experiences with Schottenheimer. “We’ve had some back-and-forth. And at the end of those disagreements, pure disagreements, there’s been a handshake and an understanding of each other’s side. You can only gain respect from somebody that’s at that point. So yeah, it was easy for me to speak on.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Dallas as a +6500 betting underdog to win Super Bowl LX in February 2026. Schottenheimer, Prescott and others within the Cowboys will look to prove doubters wrong beginning in September.