The Dallas Cowboys under Brian Schottenheimer in 2025 will be something of an unknown with the franchise undergoing significant change both on and off the field.
With a free agency period that saw a host of starting-caliber and rotational players be signed, along with the trade for George Pickens and an A+ draft haul that saw the franchise go after high-character individuals, Dallas has gone about its business with aplomb.
But as far as the 2025 outlook is concerned, Hall of Famer and former Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman, speaking on ESPN a couple of days after jokingly picking the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl just to irk Michael Strahan, a former New York Giant, thinks Dallas might be a surprise waiting to happen.
"I understand the Eagles, they're the cream of the crop ... Washington I believe will be better ... I do think Dallas, I think they’ve been flying under the radar a little bit this offseason, rightfully so, they don't deserve a lot of talk at this point," Aikman said. "I do believe, not just because they were injured last year, I think they're going to be a better football team, and they may surprise some people.
"I do think they are going to contend and be stronger than they've gotten credit [for] at this point."
Wow.
Injuries, as much as anything, derailed Dallas last season. Dak Prescott, Brandin Cooks, Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, Trevor Diggs, Tyler Smith, Jake Ferguson, and DeMarcus Lawrence all missed time, with most on the sidelines for a significant period.
If the Cowboys can avoid that same fate, then this is a team that is built to win more than seven games as was the case last season.
Now, we aren't saying Super Bowl, but a playoff contender? That seems to be a logical ceiling for this team in Schottenheimer's first year as head coach.
It has been an offseason where Dallas hasn't blown people away, more so going about its business with a clear directive and plan for what Schotty wants in 2025.
And what he wants is for his team to be playoff-bound, which Aikman thinks is well within their wheelhouse.
