When things went bad for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025, the scapegoat ended up being defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who was fired after just 1 season as the Cowboys rolled out arguably the NFL’s worst defense.
It was something made possible only after head coach Jerry Jones traded NFL All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers just a few weeks before the regular season.
Now, Eberflus is getting another chance with a hated NFC rival who should give him a chance to get revenge on his old team.
“The 49ers have hired Matt Eberflus as their assistant head coach of defense, per sources. Eberflus — the former Bears head coach and most recently Cowboys defensive coordinator — fills a key role vacated when Gus Bradley left for Tennessee,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account on Thursday.
One Terrible Season Got Eberflus Walking Papers
The Cowboys fired Eberflus on January 6, after the Cowboys finished 30th in the NFL in team defense and tanked one of the best offensive seasons in franchise history and wasted a season in which quarterback Dak Prescott played as good as anyone in the NFL.
“Sources: The Cowboys are firing DC Matt Eberflus,” NFL Insider Jordan Schultz wrote on X. “During his lone season in Dallas, Eberflus’ unit ranked last in several categories — including 3rd down, red zone and passing defense.”
“Sources: Dallas Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on X. “Cowboys now will be going on their fourth different defensive coordinator in four seasons.”
It’s the second consecutive year in which Eberflus has been fired. In the 2024 season, the Chicago Bears fired Eberflus as head coach after a 4-8 start to the season. Eberflus went 14-32 in 3 seasons as the Bears head coach.
His replacement, Ben Johnson, led the Bears to an 11-6 record and the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs this season.
The Cowboys went 7-9-1 in 2025 and were eliminated from the playoffs with 3 games remaining in the regular season.
Eagles’ 34-Year-Old Assistant Hired as DC
The Cowboys turned to 34-year-old Eagles defensive assistant Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator, hiring him on January 22.
“Cowboys zeroing in on Christian Parker as Cowboys defensive coordinator after a ‘very impressive’ in-person interview Wednesday, per sources,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on his official X account right before the hire. “Parker, 34, has been Philadelphia’s pass-game coordinator since 2024.”
Parker leaves Philadelphia with quite a few things to hang his hat on — most notably a Super Bowl win following the 2024 season and a pair of second-year defensive backs earning NFL All-Pro honors in 2025 in cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and slot cornerback Cooper DeJean.
He’s also the protege of legendary Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, which are about as good of bona fides as any young assistant coach in the NFL.
“Very happy with this hire,” Bloggin’ The Boys Brandon Loree wrote on X. “The front office is going off the reserve and going with a first-time defensive coordinator. The mission has been to improve the secondary. Christian Parker is a big step toward helping solve that problem.”
Recently Fired Cowboys Coach Lands New Job With Hated NFC Rival