NBA legend Paul Pierce isn’t holding back when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys’ latest coaching hire. After the Cowboys made Brian Schottenheimer their new head coach, Pierce tossed a grenade into the mix, saying they “threw in the white flag.”
The fiery take instantly sparked a Twitter storm, with fans either siding with or roasting the NBA Hall of Famer.
Paul Pierce Calls Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer Hire ‘White Flag’ Move
Pierce isn’t here to play nice when it comes to the Cowboys’ latest move. On FS1’s “Speak,” he went straight for the jugular, blasting Dallas’ hire of Schottenheimer as a “white flag” moment.
“It looked like, to me, they threw in the white flag, seriously,” Pierce said, calling out the team’s direction.
According to Pierce, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones doesn’t want to fork over cash for a real game-changer.
“It looks like the Cowboys are in a transitional period right now,” he continued, adding, “I think Jerry doesn’t want to spend the money. He wants control, and he probably sees a team and a roster right now that’s probably not going to win a Super Bowl as constructed.”
Harsh words, but there’s more.
.@paulpierce34 on the Cowboys hiring Schottenheimer as their new Head Coach
"It looked like to me they threw in the white flag." pic.twitter.com/RiLmg877S3
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) January 27, 2025
Pierce points to the Cowboys’ lack of aggressive roster moves. If they’re not making major adjustments, why spend big on a high-profile coach?
“If you’re not going to do that, make the roster moves, then why spend money on a high-profile coach or somebody who can turn the organization around?”
The NBA legend believes Dallas is stuck in limbo, maybe looking at a rebuild.
“Right now, the Cowboys are in a transitional moment to where they probably gonna have to start to look to rebuild.”
So, is Schottenheimer just a placeholder in Jones’ shifting plans? Looks like the Cowboys’ Super Bowl hopes are on pause, with Pierce sounding the alarm on a potential rebuild.
Matt Eberflus to the Rescue
Dallas is bringing in former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus as its new defensive coordinator. Fired from Chicago after this past season’s 4-8 start, Eberflus is stepping in to fix the mess that Mike Zimmer left behind. Under Zimmer, the Cowboys’ defense ranked 29th against the run and gave up the fifth-most yards in the NFL.
Eberflus is no rookie to the game. He turned the Indianapolis Colts’ defense into a top contender, with three seasons ranking in the top 10 for fewest points allowed. Before that, he spent seven years as the Cowboys’ linebackers coach, so this is practically a homecoming.
Dallas’ defense has been screaming for a reset after a lackluster season. Eberflus’ job now? Make it happen.
With Zimmer likely retiring, this move feels like the Cowboys are all in on a defensive rebound, and Eberflus could be the one to kick-start it. Let’s see if he can turn the defense from a liability into a powerhouse.