Cowboys handed brutal season evaluation after Jerry Jones effectively punts on 2025

There are only a handful of teams still alive in each conference as the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs are wrapping up. For the Dallas Cowboys, however, they’re well into their second week of the offseason after going 7-9-1 and missing the postseason.

Dallas is focused on correcting their issues that plagued them in 2025, with their defensive performance standing out as the biggest sore spot. That’s why they’ve moved on from defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and are looking for his replacement.

MORE: Insider believes Cowboys have 'their guy' in defensive coordinator search

Dallas has to get this hire right as they turn the page on what Gilberto Manzano considered a wasted season. The SI.com writer gave Dallas a D in his final report card and while he knows Eberflus was a problem, he said Jerry Jones threw the season away by trading Micah Parsons.

“Plain and simple, Jones threw away the season after trading Parsons to the Packers. Maybe the blockbuster move helps the team’s future, but the Cowboys are going to need to hit on their draft picks in 2026 to quickly repair an atrocious defense,” Manzano wrote.

“Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus might get the blame for the disastrous results on that side of the ball, even though Jones took away his best player before the season.”

Cowboys can still recover from Micah Parsons trade

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Trading Parsons was a bold move and while it blew up on Dallas in 2025, they could still rebound. The Cowboys already used some of the draft capital obtained to bring in Quinnen Williams, giving them some much-needed help at defensive tackle.

MORE: Cowboys urged to ignore Maxx Crosby, pursue former NFL sack leader in free agency

They were also able to extend Tyler Smith and DaRon Bland with the cap savings. There’s even a belief they can keep George Pickens now as well.

The key, however, will be hitting on their two picks in the 2026 NFL draft. If they land multiple impact players, they might recover and look a lot smarter than they currently do.

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