Jerry Jones Addresses Future of Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus

The Cowboys’ defense has struggled during Matt Eberflus’s first season as DC.
The Cowboys’ defense has struggled during Matt Eberflus’s first season as DC. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Cowboys’ defense failed to get the job done once again on Sunday. Dallas surrendered 34 points in the Week 16 loss to the Chargers, falling to 6–8–1 on the year.

With the playoffs well out of reach, Jerry Jones & Co. will look to the offseason to shore up its porous defense, which was one of the worst units across the entire league in 2025. After the disappointing season, Jones was asked about whether the Cowboys would be moving on from defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who is in his first year in the role.

Jones said that no coaching changes would be made over the remaining two weeks of the regular season. Longer term, however, Jones acknowledged that the front office would be evaluating Eberflus’s future with the franchise. It didn’t sound like the impending decision would be a difficult one, either.

“I might not couch it as difficult,” Jones told reporters, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “(Evaluating Eberflus) is something we have to do.”

This season, the Cowboys have surrendered the third-most yards per game (380.1) in the league, as well as the second-most points per game (30.3). In particular, their passing defense has struggled. The team has six interceptions (third-fewest in the NFL) and surrenders the most yards per game through the air (257.8).

Eberflus wasn’t given the easiest task in taking over Dallas’s defense. The Micah Parsons trade certainly had an impact on the unit’s struggles, but he’s been unable to turn things around through 15 games. Without much sign of improvement, there’s a good chance Eberflus’s first season as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator will be his last.

He’ll remain in the role throughout the rest of the season, as Jones stated Sunday, but there’s plenty of doubt surrounding his long-term future with the organization.


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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.