New Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has decided on his offensive coordinator, as Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams is headed to Dallas to work with Dak Prescott and Co., CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports.
Adams spent the past two seasons working with Arizona's offensive line under head coach Jonathan Gannon. Previously, he served as the tight ends coach for the Indianapolis Colts, and served as their assistant offensive line coach as well. Prior to his four-year stint with the Colts, the 41-year-old spent six seasons at the University of Colorado, working with running backs, tight ends, offensive linemen and served as the co-offensive coordinator for one season in 2018.
Schottenheimer will call plays for the Cowboys moving forward, but Adams will still play a key role in how this unit will operate. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said this week that the offensive coordinator will have to understand how to construct a formidable rushing attack.
"I think most of these guys always want to check the run game box," Jones said, via the Cowboys' official website. "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."
The Cardinals finished with the No. 7-ranked rushing offense in 2024 (144.2 rushing yards per game), and ranked No. 4 in 2023 (139.1 rushing yards per game). The Cowboys finished last season with the sixth-worst rushing offense (100.3 rushing yards per game).
It's currently unknown who will be spearheading this new Cowboys rushing attack, as Rico Dowdle, who registered his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing campaign, is a free agent looking for a new deal.