Dallas Cowboys 2025: Offseason Recap and Season Preview – Preseason Week 1: Cowboys vs. Rams

A New Season Dawns

The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025 season under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, poised to bounce back from a disappointing 7–10 campaign in 2024. With key departures, strategic free agency moves, and training camp drama on the field and off, fans are bracing for a pivotal turnaround.

FACTS:
1. These are not the 90’s Cowboys, don’t try to be, you can’t. Write a new chapter.

2. You don’t have to be Super Bowl Champs the first day of the season, you can’t. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You cannot win the Super Bowl on Day 1 of the season. You cannot win the Super Bowl on a single play of any game outside the Super Bowl. So, stay healthy and play the long game. No team is a complete product from the start and that’s okay, it’s normal. Imperfection and adversity are natural, normal parts of life and the metaphor for life that is an NFL season. It doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong. It’s the teams that grow deep roots like a tree and weather the storms that give themselves the opportunity to still be standing at the end (of the season). You become Champions one play, one day at a time over the course of an entire season. It’s a body of work over an entire season that makes you Champions. Try to not allow it to hinge on a single play.

3. Don’t complain about the refs, please! You have an entire game to put in the work, so play well enough that you take it out of the refs’ hands. That’s the responsible way to go about it. Don’t put yourself in a position where one bad call or mistake by an official wipes out an entire game of good work. Play well enough over the course of an entire game that you take it out of the officials’ hands, so that one mistake by them doesn’t wipe out all the good you did. You don’t play perfectly every single play. You don’t make every throw, catch, tackle, field goal, or free throw in the case of hoops. So, don’t expect the officials to officiate perfectly either, we’re all human and make mistakes. Just go have fun and don’t worry about it. Easier said than done in the heat of the moment I know. However, I never have and I don’t think I ever will hear a player at the end of the game say, “The officials deserve all the credit for this win/Super Bowl/Championship today, they really called a great game out there! I wouldn’t be standing up here holding this trophy if not for them.” You won’t ever hear a player say that, right? You’ll also never hear it in a Hall of Fame speech. Nobody says, “I’d like to thank the officials for giving me the career I had, without them I would be nothing.” The point is, since players give zero credit to officials when they win as if the refs had zero impact on the positive outcome of the game, then except for the rare occasion that they have a legitimate complaint I think they should give zero credit to the officials when they lose, it’s only fair. Don’t blame the officials when you lose. Over the course of a 60 minute game, you will likely always be able to find countless other plays that have more to do with explaining why you lost than the one, two, three, or handful of controversial plays in a game/season that people focus on. Personally, I would love the players, coaches, and fans alike, really people in general, to grasp this concept. I think it would allow some people to keep their focus where it belongs, on their own responsibility, and away from things they have no control over like the refs and their bad calls. As a result, I think we would see the best, most creative version of some players, because they would relax more and have fun! A player’s career goes by quickly, you just hope they don’t forget to enjoy it along the way, cause at the end of the day if you’re not going to have fun and enjoy what you do, then what’s the point of doing it? The same could be said of fans watching the games, if you’re not going to enjoy watching the game regardless of outcome, then what’s the point of watching? Enjoy the ride regardless of outcome. We have no control over the outcome anyways, but I digress.

OFFSEASON RECAP

Free Agency & Trades

• The Cowboys brought in WR George Pickens via trade to boost their receiving options.
• They also acquired QB Joe Milton III, CB Kaiir Elam, and LB Kenneth Murray Jr. in trades, rounding out a flurry of roster activity.
• Dante Fowler returned to Dallas on a one-year deal, reuniting with familiar faces on defense. I like this move a lot, cause I didn’t like when he left for Washington last year, so I’m glad he’s back.

Grades & Analysis

• Despite making several moves and drafting well, the Cowboys received a mediocre offseason grade, with critics noting a lack of game-changing impact.
• ESPN specifically handed them a “C” grade, underscoring the perception that expectations remain lofty without clear execution.

Departures & Aging Core

Veteran guard Zack Martin retired after 11 seasons, while long-time DE DeMarcus Lawrence signed with Seattle—leaving notable leadership voids. Not that they need extra motivation, but I think the Cowboys should make DeMarcus their unofficial motivation for the season and put his picture/quote up in their locker room. His interview combined with Micah saying he was basically acting like a clown made me laugh so much! That was one of the most entertaining parts of this offseason for me personally. Look it up if you don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m going to miss DeMarcus around the team, but at least he’ll still be around town.

Training Camp & Preseason Developments

Depth Chart & Position Battles

• The team released its first unofficial depth chart, showing rookie Marshawn Kneeland positioned as DE opposite Micah Parsons.

On-Field Strategy

• Head coach Schottenheimer stressed that the offense is holding back plays (“playing with a 7-iron”) to preserve strategic surprises.

Defensive Concerns

• Run defense remains a glaring issue heading into the season, as minor tweaks and additions (like Solomon Thomas and Jay Toia) may not be enough to offset key losses. I have many more thoughts about this, which I will likely make a YouTube video about at some point this season.

Injury & Holdout Headlines

• Star linebacker Micah Parsons has not been practicing amid a contract dispute and trade request, raising doubts about his availability.
• Training camp has seen multiple injury setbacks, including the IR placement of OL Rob Jones, prompting the team to bring in RB Malik Davis for depth.
• On a brighter note, DaRon Bland impressed with his “Peanut Punch,” while rookie Shemar James emerged as a physical presence on defense.

Season Preview

Coaching & Schemes

• Offensively, expect a dynamic yet measured approach from Schottenheimer, with help from OC Klayton Adams as they acclimate a largely new roster.
• Defensively, Matt Eberflus brings a familiar Tampa-2 system, but without Parsons, effectiveness against the run is in question.

Key Storylines to Watch

• Will the offense thrive under a fresh playbook?
• Can the defense, particularly the rush defense, improve enough to withstand Division rivals?
• The evolving status of Micah Parsons—will he return to elevate the unit?
• Emerging stars like Bland and James—can they sustain their momentum?

OUTLOOK AND FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m super excited to watch the Cowboys first real game of the 2025 season tonight, albeit a preseason game! I love this time of year, and this is the first time it really starts to feel like Fall!

I know I haven’t said enough about Joe Milton III, the Cowboys’ new backup quarterback. It’s refreshing to see the Cowboys have a young, clearly athletic option, literally doing backflips out there on the field. It’s so nice going into a season feeling like you don’t have to be as afraid that the entire season is over if something happens at that position. Plus, I’m just excited to see what he can possibly do given what we’ve seen and heard from camp. Milton’s play style matches Dak’s a lot more closely than Cooper Rush’s did, and I think that’s a lot better for the offensive continuity if Milton does go in there every once in a while situationally. If the offense clicks early and the defense can patch its weaknesses, Dallas could bounce back into playoff contention. But missteps, especially off the field or within contract drama, could derail momentum quickly. I’m excited for this season to get started, and it all kicks off tonight!

Where to watch:
PRESEASON WEEK 1 • SAT 08/09 • 6:00 PM CDT

CBS 11 – KTVT – Dallas/Fort Worth

Dallas Cowboys 0-0

vs.

Los Angeles Rams 0-0