On paper, Dallas has every reason to feel strongly about their chances of success in 2026. They’ve married an outrageously productive offense with a reconstructed defense that should be significantly better than the 30th-ranked until that torpedoed their chances of playoff contention last season.
Of course, assembling a roster is only half of the job. The other portion comes together in spring activities and training camp. With half of that process now complete and early results suggesting the defense — a unit now coordinated by 34-year-old Christian Parker — is already turning a corner by challenging the Cowboys offense during minicamp, optimism is understandably on the rise.
“I believe defense wins championships,” Schottenheimer said. “I do believe that. And so if the defense is giving up headaches, that’s fine by me.”
Summer is the perfect time for sunny outlooks that match the blue skies of the season, but as Prescott and Schottenheimer both know all too well, the talk doesn’t matter unless the results in the fall and winter match it.
Prescott believes they’ll back up the sentiment on the field, so much that he guaranteed a recent arrival, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, that he’ll be playing meaningful football in January.
“To hear (Williams) say he’s never been to the playoffs, that’s what you want to do it for,” Prescott said. “And that’s what I told him. I said, ‘I’ll get you the playoffs. I’m going to need you to go help us win it.’”
We’ll see if he can deliver on his promise.
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