The Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones have brought in their next chess piece by hiring Matt Eberflus as their defensive coordinator on Jan. 28. Eberflus was fired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears mid-campaign in Nov. 2024 after two dismal seasons and is now returning to a familiar environment.
He formerly spent six years with the Cowboys from 2011 to 2017, first as the linebackers coach and later as the passing game coordinator for his last two years.
NFL Fans Excited Over Jerry Jones’ New Hire
Eberflus is known for his strong defensive leadership from his time with the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-21, where the team became a top-10 defense in three of his four seasons. Even though he faced some troubles as the sideline leader of the Bears, where he accumulated a 14-32 record, he is still respected for his defensive knowledge.
The #Cowboys are closing in on a deal for former #Bears HC Matt Eberflus to be their new defensive coordinator, sources say.
The favorite all along, Eberflus joins Brian Schottenheimer’s staff and returns to Dallas — where he was LBs coach from 2011-2017. pic.twitter.com/Chfd1nEQ2L
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 28, 2025
The news of the former Chicago head coach joining Dallas saw many fans excited: “LMAOOO ITS SO OVER FOR THE BEARS,” a fan wrote.
“Cowboys play the Bears in Chicago next season,” another fan said.
“That would be a great hire. Matt Eberflus is a very skilled and talented defensive coordinator, and the Bears’ defense was strong at times,” a fan noted.
Meanwhile, others expressed their happiness about the move.
“It could bolster their defense significantly.” a fan chimed in.
“Great move for the Cowboys,” another fan echoed.
During Eberflus’ previous stint in Dallas, he developed known LBs like Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens. In light of this, a fan said, “I like this hire especially for our young LB’s.”
The Cowboys made the hire in hopes that Eberflus’ expertise would help strengthen their guard. This comes after the Cowboys saw their defense rankings lying at the bottom of the list in 2024, with a defensive average of 355.2 yards allowed and 55 touchdowns conceded.
Eberflus will take Mike Zimmer’s seat as the latter is set to potentially retire after just one season with the team. The new DC is the only current staffer with head coaching experience. This leads to the news of the Cowboys’ new sideline leader, Brian Schottenheimer, who was the franchise’s offensive coordinator for the past two years under former coach Mike McCarthy and became the 10th Dallas HC on Jan. 27.