Dallas' dismal start to the 2026 has led to some pretty big mid-season questions. Should Brian Schottenheimer see another day? Did we screw up with the Christian Parker hire? Should we trade players for future assets, or spend them to add more help on defense?
These and other debates have raged across Cowboys Nation this week following an all-time collapse against the Cardinals. Today, let's get into some of the more underrated questions facing the Cowboys as the current season nears a breaking point.
Is it time to evaluate Klayton Adams for bigger roles?
Dumping Schottenheimer for a Mike Tomlin or Sean McDermott has been well discussed. But what about our internal candidates? Before this season ends, should the front office take the opportunity to give some of the current assistants a better look?
Foremost in that strategy would be offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. Thought he's just 43, Adams has about 20 years of coaching experience. Most of that was in college, but he's been in the NFL since 2019 with stops in Indianapolis and Arizona before coming to Dallas last year.
One thing we haven't seen from Adams yet is how he'd handle playcalling, which Schottenheimer has held on to so far. Even if Dallas goes a different way with its next head coach, Adams may have to step into that role next year, depending on who they hire and if Adams is even retained on the new staff.
If Schottenheimer does get fired before the end of the year, many would assume that Mike Pettine would get the interim job. But giving Adams that role could have better long-term value. Let Pettine keep working with Christian Parker, as he was brought in to do, and let Adams show his stuff as HC.
In that scenario, you have two interim OC candidates in QB coach Steve Shimko or OL coach Conor Riley, who could take over some of those duties. Adams would likely be the play-caller, since he hasn't been able to show that under Schotty.
Obviously, none of this is ideal. But once your season is lost, you might as well salvage whatever valuables you can find in the debris. More analysis of your internal options before exploring outside coaching candidates is one of the best things the Cowboys could do to work toward a better future.
Should the Cowboys trade CB Joey Porter Jr.?
It would be a rare thing to see in the NFL, but there's nothing in the rules against a player being traded multiple times in a season. It actually happened a couple of years ago with WR Diontae Johnson, who went from the Steelers to the Panthers to the Ravens throughout 2024.
So yes, Dallas could try to flip Porter for picks. But as Dr. Ian Malcolm said during his first visit to Jurassic Park, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Trading for Porter is one of the few things that's gone right for the Cowboys this year. His individual greatness has shone through even as Christian Parker's defense has malfunctioned around him. If there's a contending team looking for a starting CB to help them go win now, they couldn't do any better.
Here's the tough part, though. Dallas gave up a 2028 second-round pick to acquire Porter from the Steelers. That already sets the bar high for what the Cowboys would expect back in a trade now. And while Porter's been great when he's played, he's missed games and been on the sideline a bit often with in-game injuries. So a team may be nervous about giving up premium capital.
Barring an offer they can't refuse, which would mean improving on the draft picks they sent to Pittsburgh, Dallas may just focus on re-signing Porter as a new cornerstone for their secondary.
The CB room is a mess right now, and retaining Porter would be a stabilizer for the next offseason. It'd be different if DaRon Bland had returned to Pro Bowl form or Shavon Revel had taken another step, but none of that has happened for us.
If Dallas does go into a fire sale this season, moving Porter could make sense. Or, they could hope for a third-round compensatory pick to cover most of their losses when he signs with another team next spring. But trading him now is an option, and one they'll have to consider if they decide to throw in the towel on 2026.
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