4 months ago
- Sports
- Published: Jan. 06, 2026, 1:11 p.m.
The Dallas Cowboys person fired protect coordinator Matt Eberflus aft 1 season, nan team announced Tuesday.
The Cowboys vanished pinch a 7-9-1 grounds this season, pinch nan defense ranking past among 32 NFL teams successful points allowed per crippled (30.1) and passing yards allowed per crippled (251.5). Dallas’ defense besides classed 30th successful yards allowed per crippled (377.0).
“Having known Matt Eberflus for decades now, we person tremendous respect and appreciation for him arsenic a coach and a person. After reviewing and discussing nan results of our protect capacity this season, though, it was clear that alteration is needed,” Cowboys proprietor and wide head Jerry Jones said successful a statement. “This is nan first measurement successful that process, and we will proceed that reappraisal arsenic it applies to reaching our overmuch higher expectations.”
Eberflus, speaking to media up of nan Cowboys’ Week 18 play finale astatine nan New York Giants, admitted this play has “been difficult for everybody.”
“It’s surely disappointing,” Eberflus told reporters past week. “It’s surely disappointing. It’s not what we saw coming down nan road.”
In that aforesaid property conference, Eberflus told reporters he wasn’t judge if nan Cowboys trading All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons anterior to nan commencement of nan play impacted nan team’s performance. Parsons responded connected societal media pinch a station to
“I don’t cognize if it changed that much,” Eberflus said. “Obviously you person an All-Pro walk rusher that wins really quick, that’s surely going to thief immoderate defense if it’s Micah aliases if it’s Myles [Garrett] aliases whoever it mightiness be. That effect subordinate is ever going to thief to a definite grade connected walk downs and different downs. Again, you can’t look back. It is what it is and you conscionable attraction connected wherever you are.”
Parsons responded to Eberflus comments successful a societal media post to X successful which he specifically called retired Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones.
“Y’all want maine to consciousness bad?,” Parsons wrote. “Jerry Jones slandered my sanction to Cowboys media and nationalist media for months. So I do deliberation I tin respond to remark if I want to! #respectfully”
Following Eberflus’ firing, Dallas will beryllium successful hunt of its 4th protect coordinator successful arsenic galore years, pursuing Dan Quinn successful 2023 and Mike Zimmer successful 2024.
Prior to serving arsenic Cowboys DC, Eberflus spent 3 seasons arsenic caput coach of nan Chicago Bears from 2022-24, finishing pinch a 14-32 record. He besides spent 4 seasons arsenic protect coordinator for nan Indianapolis Colts from 2018-21.
Eberflus’ first stint pinch nan Cowboys came arsenic linebackers coach from 2011-17. He joined Dallas aft 2 seasons successful nan aforesaid position pinch nan Cleveland Browns nether caput coach Eric Mangini from 2009-10. The Toledo, Ohio, autochthonal played assemblage shot arsenic a linebacker astatine nan University of Toledo and began his coaching profession location afterwards from 1992-2000.
Zach Mentz is Trending Sports and News Reporter for cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer. His past acquisition includes clip spent pinch nan Cleveland Guardians, Cannabis Business Times, and North Coast Media. His...
