Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy (19) catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Arlington.
Elías Valverde II/Staff Photographer
FRISCO — It’s hard to really evaluate a player during minicamp.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer caveated multiple times over the last few weeks that the real evaluation will come in training camp. He’s admittedly not a fan of seven-on-seven work, and yet, due to league limitations, he practiced the passing-only drill more times than he ever would’ve willfully chosen during the team’s second phase of the offseason.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy (19) grabs the face mask of New York Giants safety Dane Belton (24) during the third quarter of an NFL game on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Juan Figueroa/Staff Photographer
Schottenheimer didn’t hesitate to compliment — without caveats — one player, however.
Article continues below this ad
“Ryan Flournoy, I really think is taking the next step,” Schottenheimer said. “I think he has a chance to be a terrific receiver in this league.”
With such limited practice time this offseason, what did Schottenheimer see that gave him that much confidence in Flournoy? Maybe it isn’t what Schottenheimer saw that has him believing.
“I’ve got a voice now,” Flournoy said.
The Cowboys have had no problem amplifying Flournoy’s voice, as well. In addition to heaping praise, they also handed Flournoy — the team’s unquestioned third wide receiver behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens — more leadership roles. During minicamp, the team was divided into different platoons for competitions aimed at building brotherhood and further establishing the culture Schottenheimer wants. It was also a chance for the coaches to see how certain players acted in leadership roles. Each platoon had a leader. One of those was Flournoy, who happily took the honor and ran with it.
Article continues below this ad
As a part of his message, Flournoy said he questioned his teammates about what makes a good one. He then gave his answer.
“For my voice, I think a great teammate is a teammate that serves, and I’m here to serve y’all [and] sacrifice,” Flournoy said.
It lines up with what coaches and teammates have said about Flournoy. It’s also part of the reason Schottenheimer has so much appreciation for the confidence Flournoy shows today.
“He earned it the right way,” Schottenheimer said. “He earned it through special teams. He earned it by doing the run blocking, doing the things in the run game — the dirty work, if you will.”
Flournoy had to start from the bottom, and things didn’t start well, either.
Article continues below this ad
A good start is essential for late-round picks, especially those from a small school. Flournoy, a sixth-round pick in 2024 out of Southeast Missouri State, was no exception. It didn’t help that he was injured during his first training camp, though he was healthy enough to play in the team’s first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. He had two catches, a drop and a fumble in that game.
“I had a lot of pressure on me,” Flournoy said about that game. “Not that anybody else put it on me, but I put it on myself, because I was [from] a small school. I felt like I had a lot to prove.”
Flournoy bounced from inactive to active during his rookie season. He played in 11 games and finished with 10 catches for 102 yards and no touchdowns. The next offseason, there was pressure, again. There was a lot of competition for roster spots on the back end of the roster. Flournoy was waived during the final roster cuts. Once he cleared waivers, he returned to the Cowboys and signed with the team’s practice squad.
Flournoy started his career by putting a lot of pressure on himself. In his second season, he relieved that pressure. Instead of being anxious, he felt “neutral,” he said.
“As I started to learn and started to go out there and play freely and play football, I kind of stepped into myself,” Flournoy said. “Not just relying on myself, but relying on the vets, and seeing how they deal with bad games or how they deal with adversity.”
Article continues below this ad
What happened next is part of Flournoy’s message to his teammates now.
After he was waived, Flournoy returned and became someone the Cowboys could count on when they needed him. He stepped in against the New York Jets when Lamb was out and had the first 100-yard receiving game of his career. Later in the season, when Lamb was hurt against the Lions and Pickens was struggling, Flournoy stepped up and had another 100-yard performance. He finished his second season with 40 receptions for 475 yards and four touchdowns.
“You saw him take that step, I’d say in the middle of the season last year and he came back, man, with just a really strong intent for what he wanted to get done,” Schottenheimer said. “He looks great. He’s moving great. His routes, I think have gotten better. Here’s a guy from a small school that’s come in and really adapted to the way we teach route breaks and releases and speed terms and power cuts and things like that. I really think the sky’s the limit for him and he’s definitely a guy we see finding ways to get him the ball.”
Flournoy is confident that will happen, too. He doesn’t hesitate when he refers to himself as the team’s third receiver. Even at minicamp, he wore a similar tinted facemask visor to Pickens and Lamb. He looks like he belongs.
Article continues below this ad
And with a newfound, confident voice, he sounds like it, too.