The rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles just added another chapter. This time, it wasn’t about players on the field. It was about coaches behind the scenes. When Nick Sirianni tried to make a move, Brian Schottenheimer made sure the door stayed shut. The news came out after Jon Machota of The Athletic shared a clip on X on Thursday.

“Clayton’s the best. I love Clayton,” Schottenheimer said. “It was funny because when Nick called me, you know, there’s different ways you can do it. You can send in slips and things like that. And Nick, of course, called me and said, I got a question to ask you. I want to send a letter in for Clayton.”

In that clip, Schottenheimer opened up about a call he received from Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni during the hiring cycle. Schottenheimer did not hesitate. He made it clear he wasn’t going to allow it.

The Eagles were looking for a new offensive coordinator after moving on from Kevin Patullo. During their search, Nick Sirianni reached out to the Cowboys to ask permission to interview Klayton Adams. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Dallas denied the request since it was a lateral move under NFL rules.

“I said, don’t bother, buddy. I’m gonna have to deny you on that one,” Schottenheimer said. “He said, I’m not calling the plays. I said, I’m gonna have to deny it. Then we started talking about our kids. He’s like, yeah, I would have done the same thing, but I had to ask. So look, Clayton’s a stud. His energy is amazing. And again, Nick wasn’t wrong for trying.”

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Brian Schottenheimer later confirmed the call at the NFL Combine. He shared that Sirianni personally contacted him about Adams, but he chose to block it. Dallas had just hired Adams for the 2025 season and viewed him as a key part of their offensive coaching staff.

The Cowboys protected a key offensive piece as the Eagles move on

After being blocked by Dallas, the Eagles shifted their focus. Philadelphia later hired Sean Mannion away from the Green Bay Packers as their new offensive coordinator, ending weeks of interviews and speculation.

Adams remains an important piece in Dallas. He joined the Cowboys for the 2025 season under Schottenheimer. Before that, he worked with the Arizona Cardinals, helping build one of the league’s most productive rushing attacks.

During his two seasons in Arizona, the Cardinals ranked third in rushing offense at 141.6 yards per game and second in yards per carry at 5.02. They also led the NFL in runs of 10 or more yards on 15.4% of carries.

Dallas also posted strong numbers last season. With Dak Prescott, George Pickens, and CeeDee Lamb leading the offense, the Cowboys finished second in total yards with 6,663 and second in passing yards with 4,527. They ranked ninth in rushing yards at 2,136 and seventh in scoring with 471 points.

Those numbers explain why Schottenheimer acted quickly. Adams plays a key role in shaping the run game and supporting the offensive structure. Losing him to a rival was never going to happen.

While Sirianni’s attempt was rebuffed, it serves as a clear shot across the bow, proving that the battle for NFC East supremacy is now being fought just as fiercely in the coaches’ offices as it is on the field.