Brian Schottenheimer's hiring is now old news in Dallas, but with the full offseason ahead of them, the Cowboys have plenty still to accomplish.
Luckily, their quarterback feels they're already a few steps ahead regarding familiarity. Dak Prescott knows Schottenheimer well thanks to the coach's three years spent on the Dallas staff under former coach Mike McCarthy and believes he's prepared for the job.
"Super excited for him, this opportunity," Prescott said Tuesday. "Obviously, I've worked with him for the last couple of years; understanding the type of coach is, the type of man he is, the way that he approaches the game. I think the best way to exemplify that is the son of a legendary football coach. He's not going to take anything about this game lightly. He enjoys the work in it, kind of old-fashioned. Looking forward to the grind and some things that we're gonna do and he's gonna add. Excited for him. I know he's ready for it."
Perhaps nobody on Dallas' current roster understands Schottenheimer better than Prescott, the quarterback who spent his last two seasons performing under the direction of the Cowboys' former offensive coordinator. Sure, McCarthy called plays, but Schottenheimer also played an important part in crafting the offense in tandem with McCarthy.
This working relationship afforded Prescott plenty of opportunity to learn Schottenheimer both in how he'll help the quarterback and also hold him accountable when the situation calls for it.
Schottenheimer already referenced this relationship when he was being introduced as the next Cowboys coach, pointing to a sequence during training camp in which he'd pulled Prescott from practice after the quarterback threw an interception. Prescott explained his side of the interaction Tuesday, pointing to it as a necessary learning moment for both parties that should only benefit them going forward.
"Naturally, it's kind of already happened," Prescott said. "I know he alluded to, you know, the interception in practice and me giving it back to him, and you know, it's a great moment of understanding and I appreciate that sense of standard. We're not accepting one play to come out, but in my point, you know, 'Hey, where did I get my risk versus reward?'
"But that was a conversation that was very unpleasant at the front end, but it had to be addressed at some point or another, and it was immediately after practice, and it was two grown men coming to an understanding and appreciating each other for the competitiveness and the standard. And so I'm excited for things like that to grow and not only just me in the quarterback position, but throughout every position on that team."
Instead of needing weeks or months to acclimate to a new coach and his set of expectations, Prescott already understands what awaits him with Schottenheimer at the helm. That should help speed up their process, which owner Jerry Jones pointed to as part of his reasoning when promoting Schottenheimer with one goal: "Compete right now."
Of course, competing immediately requires more than familiarity, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Neither should their understanding of the newly minted Super Bowl champions: their NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles.
"I feel like we've competed with the Eagles and beat them for the most part when we've played them," Prescott said Tuesday. "I don't want to say, 'Check the record,' when the other guy is holding the trophy right now. So credit to them. They've earned it, and they deserved it by all means. But, yeah, [we're] very close."
Proximity is difficult to judge when the only available metric is final records from a previous season, a measure that doesn't reflect too kindly on the Cowboys after their third-place finish in the NFC East at 7-10. They're not only looking up at the Eagles, but also the other NFC finalist, the 12-5 Washington Commanders.
That doesn't discourage Prescott, though. In fact, he feels their familiarity only invigorates the Cowboys, who have performed well enough in his opinion to justify their belief in a brighter future.
"Especially even watching the NFC championship and those two teams -- teams that we battle against each and every year a couple of times," Prescott said. "As I said, [I] feel confident [that] we've gotten the better part each and every time. But just seeing such a dominating fashion [in Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs], credit to them. It's our turn and it's on us."
Dallas will have to do more than simply suit up and give it its best shot against its rivals. The two teams it's chasing in the NFC East each finished at stages beyond the one the Cowboys have come to know all too well over the last 29 seasons: the Divisional Round.
It will require a full organizational effort to both improve the roster and prepare well enough to deliver on a promise that has proven to be hollow in this century. But as Prescott sees it, they should hit the ground running in 2025. Time will tell whether his judgement is accurate.
