Jimmy Johnson has seen championship teams up close. He knows what it takes to win in Dallas. As the Cowboys prepare for the 2025 season under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the Hall of Fame coach isn’t talking about schemes or personnel moves. His message is simpler and more urgent: stay healthy. For a team with this much talent concentrated in so few players, that advice might be the difference between playoff success and another disappointing January.
Former Coach Jimmy Johnson Gives Key Advice Ahead of 2025 Season
In a recent interview with the Cowboys media team for an upcoming Deep Blue documentary, Johnson cut straight to what he sees as Dallas’s biggest challenge this season.
“The biggest thing for the Cowboys, it’s a big thing for any team, is to stay healthy,” Johnson said. “I think it’s probably more important for the Cowboys to stay healthy for a couple reasons.”
Jimmy Johnson gives his “No. 1 key” for success in 2025 ⬇️#DallasCowboys | 🗞️: https://t.co/my1lIEJxu7 pic.twitter.com/v7tNrFQhNs
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The math behind Johnson’s concern tells the story. With Dak Prescott making $60 million a year, CeeDee Lamb at $34 million, and Micah Parsons carrying a $24 million cap hit, Dallas has invested heavily in its core stars. This top-heavy salary structure creates a domino effect throughout the roster.
When that much money goes to three players, there’s less available for depth pieces. So when injuries hit the starting lineup, the Cowboys don’t have the same quality replacements that other teams might deploy.
“Their 53-man roster may not be quite as talented at the bottom as some of these other teams,” Johnson explained.
Can Dallas Survive Its Brutal December Schedule?
Beyond the depth concerns, Johnson highlighted another factor that makes health even more crucial: the schedule. Dallas faces a gauntlet from late November through Christmas that could determine their playoff fate.
The Cowboys have six consecutive games against playoff teams during that stretch. The schedule includes matchups with the Chiefs and Eagles within four days of each other, followed by games against the Lions, Vikings, and Chargers. The stretch concludes with a Christmas Day game in Washington.
“They have a very difficult stretch there toward the end of the season,” Johnson said. “If they’re not at full strength when they’re playing those top teams…the second half at the end of the season, it’s going to be a problem.”
That reality puts extra pressure on Dallas to keep its key players on the field. While other teams might weather injuries to stars during tough stretches, the Cowboys don’t have that luxury given their roster construction.
The talent is undeniably there. Prescott is back and working his way into form after his hamstring injury. Wide receiver George Pickens brings excitement as a new addition to the offense. Lamb remains in his prime as one of the league’s top receivers.
However, as Johnson emphasized, all of that offensive potential means nothing if the players aren’t available when the games matter most. For a team with championship aspirations and a new coaching staff trying to establish its identity, staying healthy isn’t just important. It’s everything.
Coming from a coach who guided Dallas to two Super Bowl victories, that perspective carries weight. Sometimes the most obvious advice is also the most vital. Stay healthy, stay ready, and let the talent take care of the rest.
