Cowboys' Schottenheimer Rearranged Locker Room, Put Dak Prescott Next to Micah Parsons

There are plenty of changes that come to an NFL team when a new coach takes over, from the playbook and schemes to the culture and approach to the locker room.

Some of the changes Brian Schottenheimer has made to the Dallas Cowboys are a bit more tangible. Schottenheimer decided to change the seating arrangement in the locker room, notably pairing offensive star Dak Prescott next to defensive star Micah Parsons.

He didn't go into the specifics of how he decided on the new seating arrangement, but he did clarify that he wants to do it every year.

“We moved some guys around,” Schottenheimer told reporters. “This year, I did, along with the help of the staff. They don’t really get a say in that, but there’s a method to the madness. I think when the guys went into the team room for the first time, I made them all stand up after they sat down, I let them sit down and I had them stand up and move seats. Why? It’s a new year. It’s 2025. We’ll do that in 2026, we’ll do that in 2027 and beyond. When you start a new year, do something different. Change something up. It’s something that’s talked about, thought about, but there’s a method to the madness at times.”

Schottenheimer has been on staff in Dallas since 2022, starting as a coaching analyst and serving as the offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. Clearly, he felt like the seating arrangement in the locker room needed a shakeup, and whether that change will make a difference is to be determined.