Brian Schottenheimer discusses Cowboys' timeline for Matt Eberflus decision

The Dallas Cowboys were again flat in Week 18, losing to the New York Giants 34-17. That gives them a 7-9-1 record in the first season under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who isn't thrilled with the results.

Schottenheimer has stated that Dallas needs to get to work making changes, which is likely to include moving on from defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. While the offense stalled often, it was the defense that was the major issue throughout the season, and team owner Jerry Jones has made it clear he's been disappointed in their performance.

MORE: Rapid reactions from Dallas Cowboys' embarrassing Week 18 loss to Giants

That's why it surprised no one that Schottenheimer is already being asked if there's a timeline on a decision.

"No, just go through the process. And once you go through the process, you know what you want to do. I don't think we'll rush any of these decisions," Schottenheimer said following the game.

You got to go through the process and do the work. It's not easy, it's tedious. We're going to be working just as hard this week and over the next 10-to-12 days to get through all of that stuff so we feel good about everything."

Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer on if there's a timeline to get the big decisions made, such as the one on the future of DC Matt Eberflus:

"No, just go through the process. And once you go through the process, you know what you want to do. I don't think we'll rush any of these…
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) January 4, 2026

Matt Eberflus is highly unlikely to return, but decision might be days away

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on the field during pregame at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Fans might be ready to hear the breaking news that Eberflus is gone, but they might not want to hold their breath. While they shouldn't expect this to drag out as long as the Mike McCarthy exit from last year, it could still take a few days.

MORE: Cowboys' Jadeveon Clowney misses massive contract bonus due to unfortunate reason

For reference, the Cowboys 2025 defense was painfully similar to the one led by Mike Nolan in 2020. Nolan, who was hired by McCarthy during his first season as head coach, was fired after just one year. Even with his struggles, however, the Cowboys fired him on January 8, which was five days after their season finale.

That means we'll likely know the fate of Eberflus by next weekend, but there might not be any news early in the week as they do their due diligence.

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