Dallas Cowboys fire defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus
The Dallas Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Eberflus is out after just one season in Dallas.
This was an expected move, as much of the Cowboys’ issues in 2025 were on the defensive side of the ball. Eberflus oversaw the NFL‘s No. 30 ranked defense. Dallas allowed 30.1 points per game, the first time any Cowboys defense has allowed at least 30 points per game during a season. Additionally, the Cowboys were last in third down, red zone, and passing defense. The results hardly improved even as Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson came over via trade, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown returned from injury.
Of course, Eberflus didn’t trade All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons before the season; team owner/general manager Jerry Jones did. Parsons was a game wrecker for the Cowboys, the type of player opposing offenses had to gameplan around. He tallied 52.5 sacks in four seasons in Dallas. Parsons, before tearing his ACL last month, made a similar impact to the Green Bay Packers. In 14 games, he picked up 12.5 sacks and 26 quarterback hits.
Matt Eberflus never got it right in Dallas
The absence of Parsons was a factor. Eberflus, however, took responsibility last week for the defense’s inability to keep points off the scoreboard.
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“Ownership and accountability is right with me,” Eberflus said. “I’m the defensive coordinator. It’s always that. So, if there’s things that need to be improved, it falls on the coach and it falls on the assistant coaches and working with the players, making sure we’re doing the best we can to put them in position. I take full accountability for that.”
Before arriving in Dallas ahead of the 2025 campaign, Eberflus spent the previous three seasons as head coach of the Chicago Bears. During his tenure, he led the Bears to a 14-32 record before he was fired 12 games into the 2024 season. His replacement, former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, guided the Bears to the No. 2 seed in the NFC with an 11-6 record.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer will immediately begin the search for a new defensive play caller. It will be the fourth defensive coordinator hire in as many seasons.