Following a season of immense change to their defensive roster, the Cowboys will be looking for a new director of the unit in 2026.
Dallas has fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after one season at the helm, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday. The team later announced Eberflus' departure.
"Having known Matt Eberflus for decades now, we have tremendous respect and appreciation for him as a coach and a person," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "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' dismissal comes after the Cowboys defense finished 30th overall (377.0 yards per game) and last in points allowed (30.1) in 2025 -- league rankings that worsened from a 2024 campaign which led to his offseason hiring. Coupled with an offense that topped the NFL (seventh in PPG; second in YPG) in 2025, a change in defensive philosophy became necessary in Dallas following a disappointing 7-9-1 season that left the Cowboys outside of the postseason.
Eberflus' arrival coincided with the beginning of what became a major shake-up for the defense in the lead up to the 2025 season.
Micah Parsons watched from the sideline during training camp amid a tenuous contract negotiation with the club, hamstringing the process of him acclimating to Eberflus' new scheme. Of course, Parsons was eventually dealt to the Packers a week before the 2025 season began, leaving Eberflus without one of the more impactful defenders in the NFL.
The Cowboys put their best foot forward, but issues on defense quickly surfaced after, leading to a 3-5-1 start that saw the unit yield 30.8 PPG during that span. It was at that point Dallas pivoted with the blockbuster acquisition of Quinnen Williams in an effort to turn things around.
Williams made an instant impact with the Cowboys, who went on to see their best stretch of the season after the trade deadline with a three-game win streak that included victories over the reigning AFC and NFC champions. Things were looking up for a Dallas team that got over the .500 mark entering Week 14, but the defensive woes resurfaced as the Lions put up 44 points on the Cowboys to end their momentum.
Losses to the Vikings and Chargers followed -- 34 points given up in each -- to squash Dallas' postseason hopes. Under Eberflus' watch, the Cowboys not only finished with a bottom-five defense but notched just 35 sacks and 12 takeaways (-9 turnover differential).
By the end, cornerback Trevon Diggs was waived -- another aspect of the Cowboys' revision for 2026 and beyond. Eberflus' firing was the final domino to fall, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer will be looking to find someone who can complement his productive offense.
Where Eberflus goes from here remains to be seen. His first job after a three-season tenure as the Bears head coach didn't go as hoped, but the experienced 55-year-old DC is poised to garner some interest with some roles already open.
