The Dallas Cowboys nightmarish defensive performance for 2025 merited change for 2026, and it came swiftly on Tuesday with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ firing, which owner Jerry Jones explained.
“Having known Matt Eberflus for decades now, we have tremendous respect and appreciation for him as a coach and a person,” Jones said in a statement on Tuesday. “After reviewing and discussing the results of our defensive performance this season, though, it was clear that change is needed. This is the first step in that process, and we will continue that review as it applies to reaching our much higher expectations.”
Eberflus joined the Cowboys staff as the defensive coordinator in 2025 after his prior stint as head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2022 to 2024. He had a previous stint with the Cowboys from 2011 to 2015 as the linebackers coach, and Eberflus added passing game coordinator duties from 2016 to 2017.
Despite his prior history with the Cowboys, the team’s historically poor defense in 2025 couldn’t be ignored. Dallas coughed up a franchise record 511 points with a second-worst average, 30.1 points per game, in franchise history.
The Cowboys ranked 30th overall for defense in addition to 32nd for scoring defense and pass defense. Dallas couldn’t get takeaways either with 12, the second-lowest total in franchise history.
Jerry Jones Already Had Matt Eberflus Firing in Mind
Dallas will go for a fourth defensive coordinator in four seasons, but the hiring of Eberflus never panned out.
“I might not couch it as difficult,” Jones told reporters on Dec. 21 regarding a possible defensive coordinator change. “It’s certainly something that we have to do. And that is to look at the entire year and look at what our options are, and how to correct it so we’re not here at the same time next year.”
“Now, that’s not uncommon to evaluate at this time of the year — your entire coaching staff,” Jones added. “And, obviously, the target is on him because of our statistical, as well as actual play on the defensive side of the ball, but that goes with it.”
Hiring Eberflus in the first place once had its benefits from an experience standpoint because of his prior experience in Dallas and previous head coaching experience. The Cowboys were going into 2025 with a first-time NFL head coach in Brian Schottenheimer, so Eberflus’ experience couldn’t have hurt.
2 Big Hits to Matt Eberflus’ Time in Dallas
Eberflus’ cause only took a final hit in Week 18 when the New York Giants piled on 34 points in a 34-17 loss for the Cowboys (7-9-1). In addition, Dallas’ defensive woes came amid one of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s best seasons when the offense ranked No. 2 in the NFL.
That said, Eberflus’ whole 2025 season took a hit when the team traded star linebacker Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers at Jones’ wish. The Cowboys never recovered from the loss of the four-time Pro Bowler this past season.
Dallas has now cycled through Eberflus, Mike Zimmer in 2024, Dan Quinn in 2023. Before Quinn’s three seasons in Dallas, the last defensive coordinator to make it multiple seasons was Rod Marinelli from 2014 to 2019.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Issues Statement on Matt Eberflus Firing