Brian Schottenheimer is entering a make-or-break season in 2026. The Dallas Cowboys head coach faced quite the heat last season, having burned through a gruelling slate of weeks. This year, which is only his second as a head coach, Schottenheimer is doubling down on a key technique to build better relationships with the Cowboys.

Per the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins, Schottenheimer’s new “goal” is “have dinner with everyone on the roster.” He did it last season too, but this year, everyone should hope for a meal with the head coach.

“My hope would be that these guys know I love them and care about them, and my door is always open,” Schottenheimer told the Dallas Morning News. “I remember last year, at different points throughout the season, a guy or two would pop in and close the door. We’d sit down and talk about things outside of football, anything messy in their world that they need help with.

“I was humbled and honored that they trusted me enough to come and sit there. I am always upfront and honest with those guys about my story, my journey, my scars. I think that’s what gives you the ability to have them trust you, love you, care about you, you love and care about them back and then at the same time we’re able to have hard conversations and tell them things they don’t necessarily want to hear.”

Taking players out to dinner is nothing new for him. He had made it a big part of his offseason routine last year, getting a jump on building a rapport with teammates during the voluntary workouts period. In an interview with CBS Sports, Schottenheimer said that he is the one who pays for it all, and “changes up the menu” whenever needed.

“Football rarely comes up [in these dinners],” the head coach told CBS Sports last year. “We do football all day long. What I want to know is why Javonte [Williams] named his dog what he named his dog. And where does this story come from and all those things. … Those are the things I love talking about.

Earlier in the offseason, while scouting players, he took former Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. to dinner. Former Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa had beaten Schottenheimer by already celebrating with a dinner after he signed his contract in 2025, but the head coach still sent over a bottle of champagne. Odighizuwa was traded to the San Francisco 49ers this year. But Schottenheimer has always valued building relationships with players, regardless of where they end up in the future.

“Guys getting married, guys having babies, guys graduating… we try to celebrate all those things,” he said in June 2025. “I actually compete every day with my Chief of Staff, Tyler Boyles, to make sure we don’t miss anything because that matters,” the first-year head coach said. “If somebody has a big event and we don’t celebrate them, then shame on me for not doing that.”

Micah Parsons, whose Cowboys chapter ended on an extremely messy note, still shares a strong bond with the HC. The star pass rusher recently pranked Schottenheimer with a late-night phone call, only to say good night. The head coach, after realizing it was a prank, was still all smiles, admitting that he “got [him] pretty good.”

Schottenheimer’s future might not be guaranteed on the team, but these players will remember him for being such a hands-on coach, at least on the personal level. Heading into a crucial 2026 season, he’ll need that kind of support and trust from the team.

Injuries have plagued the Dallas Cowboys’ OTAs

Among the many faults that contributed to Dallas’ 6-11 finish last year, a big one was the series of injuries plaguing the roster. Safety Malik Hooker, cornerback Trevon Diggs, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, and several other players were on injured reserve.

This year, the injury list has already begun growing months before kickoff.

Per Sports Illustrated and Schottenheimer, there are at least five notable players down with injuries. Jalen Thompson (pectoral strain) was working with the rehab team in the second week of OTAs, where he was also joined by cornerback DaRon Bland (foot). Bland was put on injury reserve last year.

Then there is Matt Hennessy, who underwent surgery to his neck on June 9. He is most likely going to begin with being on the physically unable to play (PUP) list. According to the head coach, there is no specific date as to when the OL will return.

Also down are Donovan Ezeiruaku and Jonathan Mingo.

The Cowboys will be slightly relieved to know that  Mingo and Thompson’s injuries are not that serious. They are believed to be hitting the drills sometime soon.

It will be interesting to see how he deals with all the problems, considering the Dallas Cowboys look very different compared to last year. Given how high the stakes are, he and the team have to give their all and put together a decent season.