Brian Schottenheimer is getting rid of a Mike McCarthy tradition that kind of stuck around last year on the Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys announced their four captains for the 2026 NFL season. And it’s fair to say head coach Brian Schottenheimer was a little bit more selective.
Last year, Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer didn’t quite get his way with the way the team handled captains. It was his first season running the show and though he wanted only four captains on his team, he caved in when players asked for six.
Now it’s down to the four he originally intended. On Thursday, Schottenheimer announced the group voted by players:
- QB Dak Prescott
- DT Kenny Clark
- DT Quinnen williams
- K Brandon Aubrey
In addition to those four, Cowboys coaches put together an 11-player leadership council. Notably, Aubrey is the only captain who isn’t on the leadership council (punter Bryan Anger is).
McCarthy’s rotating captain(s) are gone
Now, cutting the list of players wearing a “C” on their chest from six to four isn’t the only change. This time, Schottenheimer didn’t say anything about rotating captains, a tradition that carried over from the Mike McCarthy regime.
Instead of having a season-long group of captains, McCarthy announced different captains for offense, defense, and special teams every week. Schottenheimer kept a version of that in his first year running the show. On top of the Cowboys’ six captains, they had a seventh captain who rotated every week.
Allow me to overthink: This says something about Schottenheimer
I know it’s a small thing but honestly, I like Schottenheimer sticking to what was his original vision in 2025. No rotating captains and only four guys rocking the “C.”
Consider what he said last year: “I was planning on having four captains, that was kind of the goal. But the guys clearly spoke, and so we’ll have six captains in 2025.”
You’ve got to love Schottenheimer taking player input seriously enough to make a change like that. But I also like the Cowboys head coach doing things the way he wants to do them in Year 2. Even if it’s something small like this.
It fits the theme of the offseason. There’s a good chance the biggest Cowboys’ biggest addition this offseason turns out to be new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. And he was a true Schottenheimer choice. It wasn’t the front office’s, like Matt Eberflus was.
So call me crazy, but this feels like another way of Schottenheimer commanding his team. I can dig it.
