NFL rumors: The financial reason why Cowboys may hire Brian Schottenheimer

When news broke that the Dallas Cowboys were interviewing offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer for their head coaching job, it turned heads around the NFL. When further reporting came out that “an offer could be coming soon” for the veteran coordinator, it made even less sense.

Why were the Cowboys, the most popular franchise in sports, looking to potentially hire a head coach that seemingly no other team had any interest in after his team fell apart in 2024?

Well, in an appearance on From The Insiders on NFL Network, Ian Rapoport broke down what he's heard about the news and the financial implications of the maneuvering.

“Where they are right now is they are interviewing Brian Schottenheimer. I don't get a sense that anything is done or iminent, famous last words, but that is where it stands right now. But obviously, they've only interviewed four candidates now, including him; that goes to show how real it is. Now there are some other things they are clearly waiting on; could they be waiting for Kellen Moore to finish up with the playoffs? For sure they could, but to me at the very least, this feels real,” Rapoport explained.

“And so if I were to try to explain why this interview makes some sense, I would say one, what you just said, there have been plenty of times when Brian Schottenheimer has been a hot head coaching candidate. He's got a really good resume, not just as an offensive coordinator, I know people look at the numbers, but as a leader and someone who can keep up the culture that the Cowboys have. Familiarity would be there as well, for instance, if you are someone who likes Dak Prescott having a ton of success on offense, you'd have a lot of continuity and some similar offensive schemes before. And then look, I know we've talked about this Tom, but it's definitely a thought that for Jerry Jones, does he really want to pay top dollar for a head coach? This probably wouldn't be that; it's at least something the Cowboys are exploring and we'll see what direction they go.”

Wait, Mr. Rapoport, what was that last part? The Cowboys might go with Schottenheimer because he would cost less than one of the top targets on the market? Jerry Jones, who is worth $17.2 billion according to Forbes, might opt against securing his team the best leader of men possible because he doesn't want to shell out a few more million dollars to secure a top-tier talent instead of someone like Schottenheimer, who hasn't received a single outside interview?

Well, if the Cowboys' goal is to win a Super Bowl for the first time in 30 years, that doesn't make an ounce of sense. But is that his goal? Or he is simply happy to sell shirts and season tickets while having a total say on everything that goes on in Dallas, which a more effective head coach may fight back against? Weird stuff, Cowboys fans, weird stuff indeed.