The Dallas Cowboys are not expected to challenge for a division championship this season. They struggled to a 7-10 record last season and owner Jerry Jones brought in a new head coach in Brian Schottenheimer to turn things around. The Cowboys would appear to be up against it since they are in the same division as the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the resurgent Washington Commanders.

Nevertheless, Schottenheimer is not conceding anything to the Eagles, Commanders or any of the other contending teams in the NFC. He is hoping that a return to full health for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott can be the key to a turnaround and a season where the team overcomes expectations and returns to contention.

The Cowboys will have to stay healthy and will have to play much improved football in order for that to happen, but Schottenheimer is also making a point to look at the team’s history and making sure the current players understand how much the franchise and their top players achieved.

Schottenheimer is bringing back players like Bob Lilly, Randy White and Dat Nguyen to observe practices and speak to current team members.

“There’s such great tradition and history here with the Cowboys, and you talk about not just the Super Bowl trophies, but some of the great players,” Schottenheimer said. “We wanted them to kind of see our energy and our juice, the way we like to operate. They paved the way for the guys that sit in those chairs today.

“I mean they’re part of our family. It’s like having an uncle or grandfather, in some cases, that you can use as a sounding board. You can use as a mentor. Are they going to be friends? Hell, I hope so.”

Cowboys still have incredible following and tradition

Even though the Cowboys have not won the Super Bowl since the 1995 season, they are still one of the most popular franchises in the NFL and all of North American professional sports.

Much of that is due to the their long history of contention and the strength that they demonstrated in their early years when Tom Landry was the head coach, Roger Staubach was their quarterback and Lilly was the leader of the team’s “Doomsday Defense.”

While Cowboys opponents have not been intimidated by the team’s history and tradition, Schottenheimer is hoping that having the players who authored that tradition in the locker room can help the current players reach their potential and dig a little deeper in the final minutes of big games.