Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer sent a strong message to tight end John Stephens Jr. after the player returned to training camp. Stephens Jr. is coming back from two consecutive ACL injuries in the same knee during his first two NFL seasons. These injuries sidelined him completely, but now he’s been training in Oxnard for over a week, trying to make a full comeback.
However, his physical condition seems to be affecting his performance, which led Schottenheimer to speak directly to him.
A slow but steady process
According to Athlon Sports, Schottenheimer told Stephens Jr., “Hey, you’re growing, you’re coming back… It’s almost like going through a version of rehab. You’ve done the rehab to get your body to the point where you can be on the field. Now you’re running, and your body is moving so fast you think, ‘Oh man, I’m open, I’m going to catch this,’ and then you try to catch it and get upfield—and that’s when you drop it.”
Cowboys TE John Stephens Jr. is back on the field pic.twitter.com/VqvsXmG05z
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) July 22, 2025
He also praised the young player’s talent: “There are no concerns about his ball skills. He has elite ball skills. You just point out the big things he’s doing well. With guys like that, you always highlight what they’re doing right. You’re going to knock off the rust—don’t worry about that. That’s really helpful for these guys.”
Still, Stephens Jr.’s reintegration will be slow, which is completely normal after such a tough recovery. Everything will come back as he learns to trust his body again. His skills remain intact; now it’s about regaining the rhythm of the team.
What matters most is that he’s determined to contribute with key plays for the Dallas Cowboys success in the 2025-26 NFL season.
