Cowboys Part Ways with Former Bears Coach Matt Eberflus After Foul Start
The Dallas Cowboys have fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus just one season into his tenure, a move that leaves many wondering what went wrong. The team's defense allowed the most points in the league this season, a far cry from the expectations of a star-studded unit.
Eberflus, who was hired by new head coach Brian Schottenheimer after emerging as a candidate for several other teams following his midseason ouster as Bears coach in 2024, was touted by owner Jerry Jones as "a great young man with tremendous character." However, when asked if Eberflus was the right man for the job, Jones diplomatically said, "It's clear that a change is needed."
This latest demotion marks the fourth defensive coordinator to leave the Cowboys in four seasons. The team's decision to trade away superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons before the season even started likely set Eberflus up for failure.
Eberflus's tenure with the Bears, which lasted a full season after he was brought back as coach at midseason following a 14-32 record, was marked by inconsistency on defense. He struggled to get his unit to perform, ranking them as lowly as 29th in the league during one of his three seasons.
At 55 years old, Eberflus's options are now limited. With a coaching career spanning over two decades, he may be forced to start anew as a position coach or take on a coordinator job at the collegiate level. After stints at Toledo and Missouri early in his career, Eberflus worked his way up through the ranks, eventually landing an NFL coaching gig with the Browns as linebackers coach in 2009.
The Dallas Cowboys have fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus just one season into his tenure, a move that leaves many wondering what went wrong. The team's defense allowed the most points in the league this season, a far cry from the expectations of a star-studded unit.
Eberflus, who was hired by new head coach Brian Schottenheimer after emerging as a candidate for several other teams following his midseason ouster as Bears coach in 2024, was touted by owner Jerry Jones as "a great young man with tremendous character." However, when asked if Eberflus was the right man for the job, Jones diplomatically said, "It's clear that a change is needed."
This latest demotion marks the fourth defensive coordinator to leave the Cowboys in four seasons. The team's decision to trade away superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons before the season even started likely set Eberflus up for failure.
Eberflus's tenure with the Bears, which lasted a full season after he was brought back as coach at midseason following a 14-32 record, was marked by inconsistency on defense. He struggled to get his unit to perform, ranking them as lowly as 29th in the league during one of his three seasons.
At 55 years old, Eberflus's options are now limited. With a coaching career spanning over two decades, he may be forced to start anew as a position coach or take on a coordinator job at the collegiate level. After stints at Toledo and Missouri early in his career, Eberflus worked his way up through the ranks, eventually landing an NFL coaching gig with the Browns as linebackers coach in 2009.
Cowboys just proved they're really bad at hiring coaches 
. I mean, who lets a guy go after one season? They were expecting him to fix their defense but it got worse under his watch 
. And now he's stuck with limited options at 55... poor guy's gonna have to start over from scratch 
. Another coaching carousel to add to the list of NFL woes 
. Four defensive coordinators in four seasons? That's not a winning formula 
.
. And now he's 55 and gotta start all over again? That's a tough road ahead 
. Maybe he should've taken that Toledo gig back in the day instead of chasing the NFL dream 
. Anyways, I'm not shedding any tears for the guy...
! cowboys just fired matt eberflus after like one season?! didnt they think he was gonna turn it around?? i mean, ur not expected to win the super bowl every year lol. i guess jerry jones was right tho, a change is def needed. btw, micah parsons trade was a huge mistake 
. maybe he can get back into the game as a position coach or something?
they just fired their defensive coordinator matt eberflus like what even happened?! i feel bad for the guy though he got a pretty good intro from jerry jones saying he's a "great young man with tremendous character" 
but it looks like that wasn't enough to save him. i wonder if micah parsons trade was the final nail in his coffin 
did they really think trading away their star pass rusher would set eberflus up for failure? and now he's gotta start all over again... maybe a position coach or college level gig? that's like, 2 decades of coaching experience just going down the drain 
that the Cowboys parted ways with Matt Eberflus so soon after hiring him! It's like they said one thing during the interview process and another once he started working out there 
. It's one thing to make trades that don't work out, but to give away a super star before they even get a chance? That's some crazy math 
.
. I feel bad for him, because at the end of the day, he's just trying to do his job and help out an NFL team 
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. The Cowboys just gotta shake off the whole thing and find someone new to lead their defense 
. Maybe Eberflus can use this as an opportunity to start fresh, like coach at a college level or something 
. He's still 55, so he's got plenty of life left in him 
.
... maybe it's time for him to take on a role that doesn't require him to be in charge of an entire unit? position coaching could be his best shot 
maybe it's time for schottenheimer to take some responsibility for this mess 
. I mean, can you imagine just hitting the open road and seeing where life takes you? It's like, what's holding us back from doing the same thing with our careers? Eberflus was supposed to be the guy to turn around that Cowboys defense but it looks like he just didn't have the right recipe 
. Maybe he should've stuck to coaching high school or something 
... I'm sure he was just misunderstood by Jones and company 
... I'm all confused now 
. The team was expected to have a top-notch defense, but it just didn't pan out 
. And let's be real, trading away Micah Parsons before the season even started is like setting yourself up for failure 
I'm like totally confused about this move by the Cowboys... one season into it and they're already saying Matt Eberflus isn't doing well? 
I mean what did they expect from him? That he'd magically turn the team's defense into a machine overnight? 
It just doesn't add up...
. The fact that they traded away Micah Parsons before the season even started says it all - they were setting themselves up for failure from the get-go 
. And let's not forget, they traded away one of their best players in Micah Parsons before even starting the season 
. I think the trade of Micah Parsons was a huge mistake too 
. Maybe he'll find his way to a different team or level, like a college coach 