Brian Schottenheimer gets honest about reason for moving Matt Eberflus to booth

With three games remaining on the 2025 schedule, the Dallas Cowboys are making a change with their defensive coordinator.

While fans might have preferred hearing they were moving on from Matt Eberflus, the actual shift will be where Eberflus works from on game days. Dallas announced that he will move to the press box while defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton handles sideline duties.

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This could be seen as a way for the Cowboys to audition Whitecotton in a more prominent role, but according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the real focus is figuring out how to make quicker adjustments.

“At the end of the day, we all understand we need to play better on defense. That’s not a secret. Nobody has shied away from that. Certainly, Flus hasn’t shied away from that," Schottenheimer said.

"I think as we look for options and ideas, it was something Matt and I talked about. … There’s no question you can see things better up in the box. You can make quicker adjustments up in the box. I think when Matt and I kinda talked through this stuff, it became very clear that that’s where we want to put him so that we can make some adjustments faster. I think it’s gonna be a great thing for us.”

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer on @1053thefan on why they’re making the change to having DC Matt Eberflus call these final three games from the coaching box: “At the end of the day, we all understand we need to play better on defense. That’s not a secret. Nobody has shied…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 19, 2025

Schottenheimer said being in the box will give Eberflus a "30,000-foot view," which he believes will be especially beneficial when it comes to dialing up pressure.

Why didn't the Cowboys make this move sooner?

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on the field during pregame. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The follow-up question to this move was why Dallas didn't make the move earlier in the year. Schottenheimer said that's a fair question, but added that their first attempt to fix their defense was adding Quinnen Williams at the NFL trade deadline.

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He said they reeled off three wins in a row and were happy with the improved defensive play. The loss to the Detroit Lions was painful, but he added that they weren't making a drastic change after that loss.

Apparently, allowing J.J. McCarthy to play like a Pro Bowl quarterback in the Week 15 loss to the Minnesota Vikings was enough to prompt the move.

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