Penalty Woes: The Dallas Cowboys' Discipline Challenges in the 2025 Season
The Dallas Cowboys faced significant discipline issues during the 2025 season, with penalties being a major concern. They accumulated the second-most penalty yards and the most accepted penalties in the league, totaling 133 flags for 1,136 yards. Despite being penalized frequently, the Cowboys also benefited from their opponents committing the second-most penalty yards against them, with 1,142 yards. Coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the penalty problem throughout the season, but improvements were not seen. Penalties can be attributed to a combination of player discipline, skill, and coaching. The Cowboys had a young team last season, which may have contributed to the penalty issues. Schottenheimer emphasized that discipline starts with the coaching staff. While reducing penalties would be beneficial for the Cowboys in 2026, some teams have still found success despite high penalty counts. The Cowboys will need to elevate their performance to overcome their penalty struggles in the upcoming season.