Brian Schottenheimer’s 2026 roster reality check sends Cowboys Super Bowl hopes sky-high

The Dallas Cowboys are starting to generate excitement ahead of the 2026 season. After a convincing 34-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason, Brian Schottenheimer ’s team is looking to carry that momentum into the start of the campaign when they face the New York Giants in Week 1 on September 13 .

Beyond the result, the strongest message came from the head coach himself, who stated that the current version of the Cowboys is better than the one that finished last season. Schottenheimer highlighted significant improvements in roster talent and depth, two areas he believes are essential to competing at the highest level.

“If you take our roster from last year and you lay it down next to our roster from this year, there’s no question that the depth and the overall talent is higher,” Schottenheimer said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic . “This is a good football team. We got a lot of confidence. We just got to make the right decisions as we get to cut-down day, which we will.”

The optimism in Dallas starts with an offense loaded with talent. Dak Prescott remains the leader of the unit, while the quarterback will have weapons such as CeeDee Lamb and new addition George Pickens , a receiver duo that could provide more explosiveness to the passing game.

The biggest focus, however, is on a defense that needs a major turnaround after an inconsistent season. The Cowboys strengthened their defensive line with players like Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark , hoping to raise the level of a unit that was one of the team’s biggest weaknesses.

Dallas finished last season with a 7-9 record, placing second in the NFC East and falling short of the expectations surrounding the franchise. Now, with a roster that Schottenheimer believes is more complete, the Cowboys will look to prove they are ready to compete among the NFL’s elite once again.