Brian Schottenheimer wasn’t a surprise candidate. In fact, he was seemingly the most familiar one in Dallas. “This is as big a risk as you can take. No head-coaching experience,” Jerry Jones had said back in January. “But how often do you have someone that has 25 years of working through the human relationship?…I like his baggage. I like that experience.” Notably, across different teams since 1997, the HC had already donned a lot of hats in the coaching staff, including with the Cowboys as a coaching analyst in 2022, and as their OC over the next two seasons. Yet, detractors point out how this is the first time that Schottenheimer will be presiding over as an HC, a completely different challenge.

A challenge where your success will most certainly be defined by numbers. So, despite Jones’ blinding trust and a chance to be the third such coaching staff member to take over the reins following Dave Campo and Jason Garrett, things aren’t going to be easy. And that is something that even Troy Aikman is fully aware of.

Sitting down with Dallas media amid promoting his EIGHT Elite Light Beer last week, the three-time Super Bowl-winning former Dallas QB talked extensively about the coaching team’s newest head. “I think [Brian is] a good football coach. [But] you never know exactly what someone’s going to be when they’re a head coach. We’ll see how it works out,” the veteran ambiguously stated before putting all his weight behind Schottenheimer. “But I’m pulling for him. He‘s obviously high energy, very positive.” However, Aikman also didn’t fail to point out the bleak reality that awaits once the season is in full swing.

“And as I’ve said before, there were a lot of people just kind of scratching their head a little bit when he got named as the head coach because of his age [51] and the fact that he hadn’t had an opportunity yet. But now he’s going to be judged by the same things that everyone else is: Whether he can win games or not.” Well, truth be told, Aikman has every right to be cautious. After a five-season run with Mike McCarthy that not just failed at ending the Cowboys’ three-decade Super Bowl drought but also pointed out an obvious playoff shortcoming, Schottenheimer will have a tall mountain to climb if he wants his flowers. The bottom line?

“There’s 32 teams…in the league that are really optimistic and feeling good about what they did this off-season and how OTAs are going. I always kind of laugh a little bit when I read the articles of what’s happening this time of year and how positive everybody is…The reality of it is that there are a lot of teams that aren’t very good. And who those teams are going to be, we’ll find out. But I’m pulling for him, and hoping that he does well,” the veteran concluded.

Results are all that matter in the NFL, regardless of whether you’re a new or an old head coach. Just look at Doug Pederson, Jerod Mayo and Antonio Pierce. After a 4-13 record each, all three coaches were let go by their franchises to look for new leaders. Dennis Allen, Matt Eberflus and Robert Saleh also shared a similar fate after last season’s performance. 

Having said that, Aikman has been a long-time supporter of Brian Schottenheimer. Even back in February, he was all-in for what the HC brought to the table. “You look at the great offensive teams in the league today and that’s what they are, they are balanced and they can come at you in a lot of different ways and that’s Brian’s background.” The 6X pro-bowler also revealed how “hopeful” he was about Brian doing the job well. 

But does the former Cowboys have any visions of his own for the struggling team?

Troy Aikman’s future sight for the Cowboys

The Cowboys are coming off a 7-10 season that doesn’t sit quite right with fans. Missing the playoffs and seeing their QB Dak Prescott get a season-ending injury wasn’t easy either. But Troy Aikman is hopeful. When picking their Super Bowl champs, he happily chose the home team and exclaimed, “Cowboys!! C’mon.” Now, he may be biased because of his career in Dallas, but can Jones’ team really do it?

There’s obviously WR George Pickens they traded from the Steelers, with a huge responsibility on his shoulders, along with Ceedee Lamb rounding up the trio with Dak Prescott. So, despite what critics say, looks like Aikman is all for this combination.

“I think it should be a good fit. Sounds like [Pickens is] motivated to prove that he can be a number one receiver and then maybe cash in at the end of this year, but to compliment him with CeeDee [Lamb], that’s a pretty good tandem. That’s a pretty formidable group that they have, and I’m sure Dak’s pretty excited about it.” 

Now, if there is one more explosive addition to the team like Pickens, the Cowboys’ chances rise considerably. And the prediction by the veteran QB might just come true after all. So, are the Cowboys gunning for the big win this year? Troy Aikman’s certainly rooting for that, along with the new head coach. Are you?