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.