Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

No Surprise if Cowboys Finish Last in NFC East – Analyst Provides Possible Reasons As Keys to the 2025–26 Cowboys Season

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Following a tough 7-10 season last year, the Dallas Cowboys will be eager to bounce back quickly. But doing so won’t be that easy, especially in a division that contains the reigning Super Bowl Champions and the losers of last year’s NFC Conference Championship game.

Nevertheless, this offseason has seen some important changes in the coaching staff, with Brian Schottenheimer being appointed as the head coach and Matt Eberflus as the defensive coordinator. George Pickens is one of the top new additions to the offense.

Even so, not everybody is sold on the Cowboys’ chances of making the postseason. Here, we will take a look at what analysts Colin Cowherd and former NFL scout John Middlekauff had to say about Dallas’ chances in the upcoming season.

8️⃣8️⃣ got 🆙 #CowboysCamp | @AmericanAir pic.twitter.com/QS0Eb2oN5s
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 12, 2025

Why the Cowboys Could End Up Last in Their Division

Despite still being one of the perennial postseason contenders each year, the Cowboys have plenty of doubts cast over them ahead of the new campaign. There are questions to be answered in the coaching department, contract issues, and even the roster depth.

Speaking on ‘The Colin Cowherd Podcast’, Cowherd and Middlekauff had an interesting conversation revolving around whether the Cowboys could actually finish last in the NFC East. Although Middlekauff acknowledged that Dallas has a tendency to draft well and have a decent roster, there are multiple reasons that could prevent them from having a successful season.

Coaching Staff Not up to Par

The first and probably the most important factor at play is the coaching staff. Brian Schettenheimer is a first-time head coach, and Middlekauff reckons he is not good enough to be at the position. In fact, the former scout believes that Schottenheimer should not even be a coordinator in the league.

Turnover rate with Matt Eberflus as defensive play caller:

2018 (IND): 14.5% (8th)
2019 (IND): 12.9% (10th)
2020 (IND): 14.3% (3rd)
2021 (IND): 17.1% (1st)
2022 (CHI): 11.9% (16th)
2023 (CHI): 14.7% (3rd)
2024 (CHI): 13.0% (8th) pic.twitter.com/GJbedNnjvi
— DLLS Cowboys (@DLLS_Cowboys) July 24, 2025

Moreover, he also took a shot at former Bears coach Matt Eberflus, who is now the defensive coordinator in Dallas. Middlekauff believes that his re-hiring in Dallas was just another ‘Jerry (Jones) thing’, and that they brought him back only because they had worked with him previously and knew him.

“They don’t have one of the good staffs. I mean, this guy would not have been a coordinator in the league. You know, Eberflus, people think he’s a good defensive coordinator. Well, they just rehired him because they knew him, because he was coaching on their staff several years ago.”

Micah Parsons Contract Saga and Its Effects

Problem number 2 for Dallas is the unresolved contract issue of pass rusher Micah Parsons, which has led to the defender going as far as requesting a trade because he no longer wants to play in Dallas. Parsons is currently still holding in, attending training camp, but not partaking in any on-field activities.

"I think it's unbelievable that there have been zero contract talks between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys..

There has been no progress and you have to wonder where this is going" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/EcVM7JCRVR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 11, 2025

Even though he is one of the top players in the league at his position, missing camp and preseason altogether is bound to leave him rusty if and when he eventually does make his comeback to the field.

“Micah Parsons, I mean, Bosa, was it two years ago, sat out all camp and just wasn’t quite the same that season. You know, even if you’re working on your own besides practice in the weight room with the training staff, it’s not the same as getting the practice rep. So even if they sign him, the expectation for him would have to be tempered a little bit.”

Top Heavy Roster With Young Offensive Line

Next up is the roster depth and quality, or lack of it, so to speak, behind the starters. Starting with the O-line, the Cowboys are fielding more youngsters with relatively less experience. While that can be a good thing in terms of energy and enthusiasm, inexperience can also cause damage on crucial downs and plays.

“They’re depending on a ton of young guys on the offensive line, and that can be very hit or miss. Yeah, when it hits, it’s awesome. We saw the Chiefs kind of doing that last year, too, and it was like whoa, you know, so it can flip on you quick.”

Additionally, the roster depth, especially on offense, is quite a worry. In the event that one of the top players gets injured, the Cowboys are bound to struggle, similar to what happened last season when Dak Prescott got hurt and missed the final 9 games of the year.

“I do think they have an infrastructure of guys that have won, like even when Micah comes back, he’s won a lot of games. Dak, CeeDee Lamb, like they got some solid players, but I do think it could just be they could be the last place team in the division if the coach is over his head, and they’re pretty top-heavy. I mean, CeeDee Lamb pulls a hamstring. What the hell are you going to do?”

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer on George Pickens: “From the time we got George and we went in my office and spent some time together, shot some free throws and just talked and got to know each other, he made it very clear, he was like, ‘Coach, I’m thrilled to be here, No. 1.… pic.twitter.com/ndFPu4ibPE
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 12, 2025

Tough Regular Season Schedule

All of the points mentioned above are valid and hold true. But another criterion that can play a crucial role in how the Cowboys’ season shapes up is their hectic schedule. Their first game is the 2025 season-opener against the Eagles, and then they will be facing the Packers, Commanders, and Broncos, a few potentially tough teams, before their bye week.

However, after the bye week, the back end of their schedule features games against the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, Chargers, and the Commanders again. A tough stretch of games that could completely derail their season.

Cowboys fans who have been waiting for a return to the Super Bowl may have to wait another year longer, because if Dallas makes it that far in 2025-26, that would be a surprise. However, if the opposite happens, and the Cowboys end up last in the division, don’t be shocked for the reasons we have seen just now.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

CeeDee Lamb

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys

Micah Parsons

NFL

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!