AT&T Stadium has been the subject of some heated chatter lately. And no, it’s not for the Cowboys’ record. It’s for something glaring, literally! The sun. Yes, the big ball of fire has been causing headaches at Dallas home games. Brian Schottenheimer finally addressed the long-running sun issue that stirred up a fuss last season.

You remember how Cowboys owner Jerry Jones basically laughed off the problem, saying they should just “tear the stadium down” instead of blocking the sun? Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb was shaking his head, clearly annoyed, saying he simply couldn’t “see the ball” because of the glare. But Schottenheimer took a more level-headed approach. 

“Well, I’ve been here for a little while and I’ve heard about it…If you guys could see the process and the plan we have in place to figure it out. We have satellite imaging, we have pictures of the sun, when it’s coming down. There’s a big plan and process,” the head coach said. “But I think when you look at historically at what’s happened it really hasn’t affected many situations. We plan for it. The opponents plan for it. But at the end of the day, it’s something that we’re aware of. It’s very beautiful. It’s majestic when the sun comes through there.”

Here’s the thing: The weird orientation of the stadium, aimed northeast by southwest, means that late afternoon games bring a blinding sunshine challenge onto the football turf. Since its $1.2 billion debut in 2009, AT&T has dazzled fans and players alike with its incredible design, tech, and capacity.

You name it, and the stadium has it:

• It spreads across three million square feet
• Provides seating that can fit up to 100,000 fans
• World’s longest single-span retractable roof
• A massive 160-foot video screen hanging 90 feet above the field

But all that isn’t helping the players on the field. Instead, the orientation has been a nightmare for the quarterback and receivers. And Jerry Jones couldn’t be more nonchalant about it. 

“Every team that comes in here has the same issues. They know where the sun is going to be. Every team has the same thing…I’m saying the world knows where the sun is. We get to know that almost a year in advance. So, someone asked me about the sun. What about the sun? Where’s the moon? We’re fine. But everybody plays in the sun out here,” Jones said last year.

Ironically, the stadium does have blackout curtains. They’re regularly deployed for concerts and monster truck rallies but withheld during Cowboys games. The reason seems to be that Jones wants to keep what he calls a home-field advantage, even if it means players squinting and dropping passes.

What this fails to explain is: can we really call it an advantage when your own squad can’t benefit and has been voicing their concerns publicly for years?

Jones vs. Lamb: The AT&T sun glare debate

The roots of this drama date back to a 2022 wild-card game against the San Francisco 49ers. That day, a seemingly routine catch turned sour when Cowboys receiver Cedrick Wilson just did not track the ball. That blunder cost Dallas a critical scoring chance and eventually the game. 

Just last year, CeeDee Lamb was seen shielding his eyes and pointing to the sun when he missed a throw during a painful loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Lamb’s candid claim that “the sun” cost him a touchdown caught the attention of many. He backed the call for curtains to block the glare, saying, “Yes. 1000%.”

But it turns out Jerry doesn’t seem to have an issue with that at all. He remains sarcastic, almost theatrical, about the idea.

“By the way, we know where the sun is going to be when we flip the coin, so we do know where the damn sun is going to be in our own stadium. Let’s just tear the damn stadium down and build another one. Are you kidding me?” Jones said last season.

So, yes, Schottenheimer said they have a “plan” to figure it out. But is Jones going to do anything about it? Absolutely not. Because this is what he said in an interview on 105.3 The Fan in 2022.

“Conditions and elements have been a part of football since it was spelled the first time. No. That’s about 10,000 on my list of things to worry about. And no, we’re not going to do anything with it.”

Whether the sun will shine brighter on this debate or the stadium finally gets some relief remains to be seen. But in the meantime, every late-afternoon game in Dallas comes with a warning: watch the sun, or it might blind your chances.