Brian Schottenheimer is entering his second year as the Dallas Cowboys’ head coach with all 11 offensive starters returning. The group features Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and franchise-tagged receiver George Pickens, making the offense look highly competitive for the 2026 season.
The defense is the team’s main problem. Dallas had one of the league’s worst defensive units last year, forcing the team to fire defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Schottenheimer is now working with the new coordinator, Christian Parker, to fix the fundamental mistakes and gaps in their system.
Currently, the NFL and the Cowboys are in the quiet period of the offseason while the entire world is invested in the FIFA World Cup. Even the Cowboys’ home, AT&T Stadium, is highly active hosting major World Cup matches.
Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks on before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
And to host these international matches, the stadium underwent massive construction changes. But there is one specific modification that Schottenheimer is famously not a fan of.
Brian Schottenheimer isn’t buying what the World Cup sold at Cowboys’ home
Their home stadium has been temporarily rebranded as Dallas Stadium to host nine 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. The end zones, yard markers, and artificial turf are out. They have installed a natural grass surface and raised the pitch. But the change that caught Schottenheimer’s attention most wasn’t the pitch; it was the curtains.
Curtains and shading were installed to block the infamous Texas sunlight that pours through the stadium’s west-facing windows, an ongoing issue since the Cowboys moved in back in 2009. He jokingly complained about the massive blackout curtains and window shades put up to block the Texas sun, sarcastically claiming that international soccer fans are missing out on the stadium’s true “majestic” aesthetic and aura
“I’m a big… actually World Cup guy. I watch a lot of the games. It’s been cool for me,” Schottenheimer told reporters this week. “It sounds like they had the blinders up… the shades. So it’s majestic as it is when we are playing our games. The grass and the shades, it’s not as majestic. They’re going to miss the experience.”
Dallas Nation immediately noticed the irony. Wide receivers like CeeDee Lamb have faced severe visibility issues from that exact sunlight. After dropping a touchdown pass in 2024, Lamb stated he couldn’t see the ball at all and supported installing curtains. However, owner Jerry Jones was the one who always dismissed the idea.
World Cup forced AT&T Stadium to use temporary window shades to block the glare. However, these changes will be removed right after the tournament because the 83-year-old owner refuses to keep them permanent.
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