Gemmi Schottenheimer isn’t a stranger to the difficulties head coaches face. After all, she had watched Brian’s father Marty get the ax at the Redskins and the Chargers. That’s why when she weighed in on Brian Schottenheimer’s present situation at the Cowboys, we knew it presented an unfortunate reality that came with the head coaching spot. 

Coming off a 7-9-1 season, head coach Brian Schottenheimer stands at a moment that could define the season. The squad he chooses to take into the regular season will define how his second year as a head coach will turn out. But that brings us to the unfortunate reality: roster cuts. 

All 32 NFL teams have gone through the ugly process of finalizing their 53-man rosters, forcing them to let many players go. And that’s when Brian Schottenheimer’s wife urged fans to be considerate of their pain.

“Something to remember over the next 24-48 hours as NFL cuts start to be announced and final rosters are determined: These players are real people, with real lives, real families, real emotions, real feelings, real hopes and real dreams. Be mindful of this…” Gemmi Schottenheimer shared a message on an IG story. “Really tough couple of days,” she added.

We’ve heard Gemmi speak before, especially around the life of an NFL coach. Just a few months ago, she revealed how challenging McCarthy’s exit and the limbo that followed had been. 

“It kind of came out of nowhere. So, I think walking through that part of it, just sort of trying to grasp the idea of like, are we really going to stay here and do this? That was really the hardest part. If he got this job, I knew what he would do with it. I think just the unknown was definitely the hardest part for me… I always knew that whenever he got his chance, he would thrive, and he would do incredible things like he’s doing right now. But it was really tough. I’m not going to lie.”

But from there, the challenge kept growing for coach Schottenheimer. This time, her words emphasize just how difficult roster cuts are. By the end of the afternoon on August 30th, Brian Schottenheimer, just like all other NFL coaches, had to cut his roster down from over 90 players to 53. Across the NFL, that’s over 1000 players who are waiting to find out what their NFL future is. 

And although roughly half may find a different team waiting to sign them, that doesn’t make things easier. While stars may kick back during this time, rookies, UDFAs, and veterans looking for a second chance find themselves waiting for the verdict. Brian Schottenheimer had spoke about the same thing last year, when he had the responsibility for the first time. 

“I think that’s important because anytime you have those hard conversations, whether they’re back or not back… they hopefully can use a thing that they’re given the feedback about to improve themselves as a player.”

And in his second year, he had to do the same thing; players that he saw as standouts in the camp but didn’t make the final 53. There was Shiyazh Pete, the first player from Navajo Nation, who kept pushing the team with his words. There was also Jaydon Blue, a player Schottenheimer recognised as having matured in the offseason. Yet, these were names he had to make tough calls around. 

“The process is still the same. We do it the way we do it,” Schottenheimer said on August 26. “We’ll play the game on Friday, and we’ll get in here early on Saturday, and we’ll blink the film for some of those last looks with some of these guys that are in contested or heated position battles. And we’ll have a meeting, and we’ll dissect a lot of different things, and we’ll start with one side of the ball or the other, and we’ll debate.”

The Cowboys waived 28 players as they trimmed their roster to 53. Some in the group were running backs Israel Abanikanda, Jashaun Corbin, and Phil Mafah, and linebackers Justin Barron, Isaiah Land and Langston Patterson. The list also includes safety Julius Wood, who led the Cowboys in the preseason with 16 tackles. This is the second time he was cut by Dallas, despite shining in training camp.

But Brian Schottenheimer’s wife is right: the roster cut might happen after a lot of evaluation, but it does take a toll on players’ mindsets. One such example is Oakland Raiders former defensive end Ryan Riddle, who was cut by his team back in 2006.

That moment tore him apart and left a lasting impression on him, as he described his journey to Bleacher Report.

“When I called my father, who had been so proud of my accomplishments, I put up a pretty decent front, sounding somewhat positive about the situation and how this is all just a normal part of the business,” Riddle said back in 2018. “I hated the obvious disappointment in his voice.

“Inside, it was killing me. I was defeated and terribly devastated……I never shed a single tear that day. … I was never told a reason why I was cut.”

Even Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has expressed his displeasure with the entire process.

“It’s something that has to be done, and you want to do it as respectfully as you can,” Campbell said last year. “You don’t want to lie to the player; you just tell them straight up, and it’s hard. But it’s the right way to do it.”

All players signed in the offseason give their all to make the final roster. However, only a select group will get that honor.