While the Dallas Cowboys are admittedly focused on revamping their defense in the 2026 offseason, some big decisions are still needed on offense. One they hope they won’t have to make is finding a new
offensive coordinator, but Klayton Adams may draw interest in the upcoming coaching carousel. As an intriguing young coach with an already strong track record, plus connections outside of the organization, Adams isn’t a lock to return next year.
The Cowboys’ offense finished second overall in the 2025 regular season with 6,663 total yards, just 46 yards shy of the first-place Los Angeles Rams. They were also second in passing offense and ninth in rushing offense. They were seventh in points per game at 27.7. Those numbers alone should make teams looking for an offensive-minded head coach take notice.
As with most things in the high-profile Dallas universe, the offense got plenty of attention throughout the year. The contrast to the all-time lousy defense was a big topic, but so was the breakout season for WR George Pickens, the comeback story of RB Javonte Williams, and the return to top form for QB Dak Prescott. While Brian Schottenheimer gets some credit as the play-caller, which we’ll come back to in a bit, Adams’ role in offensive design was critical.
Adams turns just 43 next month and has been coaching in the NFL since 2019. After 14 years in the college ranks as an assistant for multiple teams and one year as a co-coordinator with Colorado, Adams joined the Indianapolis Colts’ staff as an assistant offensive line coach. He spent two years in that role, then two more as the tight ends coach. He would then move to the Arizona Cardinals as their offensive line coach for two years, before finally getting the bump to OC when the Cowboys hired him last year.
There are pros and cons to Adams’ relative lack of NFL experience. On the one hand, most teams love the buzz that comes with hiring a younger coach and selling fans on notions of creativity and innovation. But in terms of personal connections, Adams doesn’t seem to have many that he can use to his advantage. The Colts have already said they’re sticking with Shane Steichen in 2026, which makes sense given their success before Daniel Jones’ injury. And while Eagles’ coach Nick Siranni, Adams’ offensive coordinator in Indy, might be intrigued by trying to poach him for the potential OC job in Philly, there doesn’t appear to be a mechanism for that unless Dallas allows it.
The Cardinals, Adams’ last team before the Cowboys, could be interesting. They just fired Jonathan Gannon as head coach, whose background was on the defensive side. Adams was on Gannon’s inaugural staff in 2023, so they may be looking for more of a clean sweep. But if they viewed him as someone who got away, this could be a way to get him back in the fold. Then again, current Arizona OC Drew Petzing, who Adams worked under, might also be in the running.
Again, history and personal relationships probably won’t matter much given the success and publicity of the Cowboys’ offense in 2025. As of the writing of this article, there are six head-coaching vacancies in the NFL. One of them is in the NFC East with the Giants, who haven’t committed to Mike Kafka after his interim tenure. With New York having blown up the entire coaching staff during the season, they could go a lot of ways in their search. But you know that if John Mara can throw a little jab in the Cowboys’ side along the way, he won’t hesitate.
Hopefully, Klayton Adams will be a stable presence on Dallas’ staff as they work on fixing what went wrong with the team last season. Just don’t be surprised if you see his name mentioned as teams begin interviewing candidates.
