Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer recently made media waves by claiming starting quarterback Dak Prescott remains in the "developmental phase." It's an intriguing thing to say given Prescott is entering his 10th season in 2025. Schottenheimer was asked about the QB room in general. He made a point to include his starter.
"I think they all are," Schottenheimer responded to a question about sophomore quarterback Joe Milton III, who the Cowboys acquired via trade this offseason, being in the developmental phase of his career. "I think Dak is in the developmental phase. It sounds crazy for a guy who's played that much, but there are things we're tweaking with Dak. It's not just for Joe [Milton].”
Here’s the full clip of #Cowboys Brian Schottenheimer talking about the entire quarterback room being in the “developmental phase,” not just singling out Dak Prescott specifically.
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) May 29, 2025
Context matters people.
(🎥: @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/mWXJbwXTTl
Schottenheimer's statement made more sense within the context, but it's worth noting he included Prescott in a question about a much rawer quarterback in Milton III. The Cowboys' new head coach is awfully familiar with his quarterback, coaching him for the previous three seasons as an assistant and offensive coordinator before being promoted to head honcho. He's inherently familiar with the areas of Prescott's game that require improvement, and that's the true motivation behind his comments.
Prescott appeared in just eight contests last year after suffering a season-ending hamstring injury against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. Prescott was struggling, throwing just 11 touchdowns versus eight interceptions. His 64.7% completion percentage was the second-lowest of his career, his worst accuracy output since his 2017 sophomore season (62.9%). The Cowboys went 7-10 and missed the playoffs.
It's natural for Schottenheimer to feel Prescott can continue improving, given his latest showing.
Schottenheimer was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023 by previous head coach Mike McCarthy after Kellen Moore’s dismissal from that role. Prescott arguably enjoyed a career-best year in Schottenheimer's debut season as offensive coordinator. Prescott completed a career-best 69.5% of his passes, throwing for 36 touchdowns (one off his 2021 personal-high mark), and 4,516 yards. The Cowboys won 12 games for a third straight season.
It's worth acknowledging that Schottenheimer didn't call plays during his two-year stretch as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator. That responsibility belonged to the offensive-minded McCarthy. It would be disrespectful to assume Schottenheimer didn't make a positive impact on Prescott's terrific 2023 campaign, though. Prescott was significantly more effective in 2023 than he was in 2022.
Schottenheimer will call plays for the Cowboys in 2025. He hired the inexperienced Klayton Adams to be his offensive coordinator. The 42-year-old had never previously held a title higher than NFL position coach, with a stint as the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive line coach the latest stop on his resume.
Schottenheimer's mission is to get Prescott back to that 2023 effectiveness. Dallas' coaching staff are making the necessary tweaks. That's precisely what OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and training camp is for.
Prescott has been a frustratingly inconsistent quarterback in recent seasons. Schottenheimer possessed a front-row seat on the rollercoaster ride. Now that he's driving the bus, Schottenheimer is understandably working to develop Prescott into the QB he's capable of being.
