The Cowboys will once again have a new defensive coordinator next season. Matt Eberflus has been fired after one year in that role for Dallas, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
For much of the campaign, struggles on defense proved to be a major detriment to the Cowboys. As that trend continued late in the season, support for Eberflus emanating from owner Jerry Jones seemed to wane. Today’s news thus comes as little surprise, although it comes earlier than expected.
Eberflus lasted less than three seasons during his first head coaching gig, with his Bears tenure ending in November last season. His background as a coordinator led to DC interest in general and ties to the Cowboys in particular. From 2011-17, Eberflus served as Dallas’ linebackers coach. He returned to his former team with the intent of improving a unit which struggled last season under Mike Zimmer.
Things did not go according to plan, to say the least. Under Eberflus, the Cowboys finished last in the NFL in scoring defense and 30th in yards allowed. Struggles in the secondary were a consistent theme all year, with many players having trouble adapting to his zone-heavy scheme. Improving at the cornerback and safety spots will no doubt be an offseason priority regardless of who replaces Eberflus.
Dan Quinn enjoyed a strong three-year run as Dallas’ defensive coordinator before taking his second career head coaching gig. His departure to Washington led to Zimmer’s return to the Cowboys in a familiar D-coordinator role. As expected, the decision to part ways with head coach Mike McCarthy last winter also resulted in Zimmer being replaced. That led to Eberflus’ arrival, but the Cowboys now find themselves in need of a fourth different DC in as many years.
Brian Flores was recently named as a Dallas target for the defensive coordinator position. He has thrived in that role with the Vikings for the past three years, a stretch which has helped his stock and is expected to lead to widespread interest around the league. Flores does not have a contract for next season, but discussions have taken place with Minnesota. It will be interesting to see if the 44-year-old demonstrates a willingness to take charge of the Cowboys’ defense as he weighs his options.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, it is currently unclear if any other changes will be made on Dallas’ defensive staff. Further departures would come as little surprise given the team’s struggles on that side of the ball in 2025 but also the trend of new coordinator arrivals bringing in outside assistants.