Marty Schottenheimer was a wise soul.
The late, long-time NFL coach, told his son, Brian, to avoid the coaching business. It could be cold. It could be dirty. It could be exhilarating. It could be addictive. It could actually be fun.
Brian didn’t listen to everything his dad taught him because he did follow Marty into coaching. On Wednesday, the NFL revealed the 2025 schedule, showing what’s in front of Brian Schottenheimer as he enters his first season as Cowboys head coach.
Schottenheimer’s rookie season will open against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. The first two weeks of the NFL season have Schottenheimer’s group facing two NFC East rivals, the Eagles and Giants.
The Cowboys’ schedule has six prime time games and features eight teams that reached the postseason last year. NFL history is being made under Schottenheimer as the Cowboys become the first team to play four Thursday night games in a single-season.
The traditional Thanksgiving Day contest at AT&T Stadium brings Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to Arlington. It’s a game that screams big TV ratings.
After you open the Christmas gifts, Dallas visits Washington on Christmas Day where Netflix will stream. It’s probably time to renew that subscription. Oh yes, the Cowboys are 1-3 on Christmas Day games in the regular season.
Dallas also has a six-game stretch against 2024 playoff teams starting against Philadelphia on Nov. 23 and ending Christmas Day at Washington. That part of the schedule might determine a possible playoff berth or a draft pick in the Top 15.
Schottenheimer has been an NFL coach since 1997, when he signed up as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Rams at 24 years old. Over the years he moved around, like most coaches, just waiting for the right opportunity to become a head coach.
He was a surprise selection for team owner Jerry Jones to take over for this title-starved franchise, and he’s not backing down from the pressures that come with the job.
“There’s plenty of Schottenheimers in the business,” Brian said toward the end of the 2024 season about getting into coaching.
When Marty asked his son if he was sure about taking on the challenges of being a coach, Brian remarked, “That’s all I know. It’s a great profession. It’s a tough profession. The people are what makes it special.”
How the Cowboys handle the 2025 schedule will tell you how Schottenheimer’s plan is going.
The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat winner since Philadelphia won four consecutive titles from 2001 to 2004. So there is hope for a new team to take over. Washington is now a threat, not so much for a wild card berth, but the division title thanks to quarterback Jayden Daniels’ emergence. Will Russell Wilson get the New York Giants back to respectability as coach Brian Daboll fights for his job?
Dallas last won the title in 2023 and the Eagles have taken the crown twice in the last three seasons. A victory over the Eagles on opening night becomes a big statement for Schottenheimer and his team.
This Cowboys’ franchise has won its last two season openers, both on the road, outscoring opponents 73-17.
There is also something to be said about rookie head coaching debuts in franchise history. Tom Landry lost his in 1960 to Pittsburgh. Jimmy Johnson, Dave Campo and Jason Garrett also lost their season openers. Yet, Barry Switzer and Chan Gailey won their debuts. Switzer and Gailey are the only two rookie head coaches to take their teams to the postseason.
Can Schottenheimer do the same?
There’s hope for success this season but the schedule presents some challenges.
One of the more highly anticipated games is on Thanksgiving where Mahomes, the East Texas native, comes home.
“I mean, obviously another team that played in the Super Bowl last year, have been champions, the past few years, and quarterback being from the Dallas area, I think it’s pretty cool just getting to host them here at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving,” quarterback Dak Prescott said on Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM) on Wednesday. “As you said, knowing it’s such a tradition with a great halftime show. I think the NFL is going to get what they want.”
Brian Schottenheimer is getting what he wants too, a chance to follow in the family business to find success with the Cowboys in 2025.
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