There’s only one coordinator opening remaining on new Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s staff: offensive coordinator. Whomever he hires to that role will not be the play-caller, as Schottenheimer will assume that role. It’ll be the same dynamic as the past two seasons, when Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator but head coach Mike McCarthy called plays.
With that in mind, Dallas is reportedly considering former Buffalo Bills and former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey for the vacancy, per ESPN.
Cowboys COO Stephen Jones spoke with Dallas’ team website at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and he let on that a big component for whomever the team hires to this spot will have to be someone with a background in getting the run game going. The Cowboys averaged the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game (100.3) in the entire league in 2024 while rotating through a committee of backs before giving undrafted veteran Rico Dowdle the lead role in Week 11. Dallas also started rookies at left tackle (first-round pick Tyler Guyton) and center (third-round pick Cooper Beebe). Seven-time first-team All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, meanwhile, had season-ending ankle surgery after Week 11.
“I think most of these guys always want to check the run game box,” Jones told DallasCowboys.com on Wednesday. “Most of these guys are very, if you will, fluent when it comes to throwing the ball around the yard. But you always want a great offensive line coach, a great running game coordinator. And of course, the key this day and time is to marry that run game to the pass game.”
Speaking at his introductory press conference Monday, Schottenheimer spoke about the pride he had in having top-ranked rushing offenses throughout his career as an offensive coordinator. It’s safe to say that will be a priority in Dallas in 2025.
“We want to be able to run the ball,” Jones said. “Everybody says that we want to run the ball and we want to stop the run, and certainly that’s what we want to do. That’s what great championship football teams do, and I know coach Schottenheimer wants to do that. I think it’s real important that we find in this hire a coach that’s going to be outstanding in the run game area.”
That’s why Dorsey is receiving consideration. His Buffalo offenses averaged the seventh-most rushing yards per game in the entire NFL in both 2022 (139.5) and 2023 (130.1).
Dorsey’s 2024 attack in Cleveland, which averaged the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game (94.6) in the entire league, was set up to fail due to quarterback Deshaun Watson’s poor play before a season-ending injury and running back Nick Chubb’s season-ending injury. Dorsey ended up being the Browns’ fall guy after Cleveland went 3-14 to secure the 2025 NFL Draft’s second overall pick; head coach Kevin Stefanski gave him offensive play-calling duties during the season and has since taken them back for 2025 following Dorsey’s firing.
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