The Dallas Cowboys have had a consistent level of frustration with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who has offered zero answers throughout the season. The coordinator hasn't been able to adjust and has led the league's second-worst scoring defense, giving up 30.3 points per game. It is beyond clear that the defense needs a change in leadership, and it seems that owner Jerry Jones is coming around to this as well. The owner has made a point of not firing his coaches in-season, waiting until the end of the year to make any changes.
However, Jones is giving a hint that changes are likely ahead, with The Athletic's Jon Machota providing the owner's comments. Reading between the lines of what Jones is saying, it becomes clear that Eberflus is on his way out with no meaningful games left to change his fate.
"“We are not executing. We are not getting done what we even run as a scheme. That’s very critical. It’s a combination of many things when you can’t get pressure or stop the run.”"Jerry Jones
With two weeks left in the 2025 season and Dallas eliminated from the playoffs, there is zero chance that Eberflus can do anything meaningful to change the failures Jones is highlighting. The franchise owner isn't going to talk about firings or decisions before a season has ended. However, talking about the inability to stop the run or create pressure is unquestionably an indication that Jones is ready to make a change.
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Hints That Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus Will Be Fired
One of the reasons that Jones provided when explaining the trade of Micah Parsons was a glaring need to be better at stopping the run. Weeks later, Jones is going out of his way to highlight just how drastically the Cowboys have failed at doing this while also being unable to get to the quarterback. This is as close as a preemptive firing as you're going to get from Cowboys ownership.
It is a deserved decision based on weeks of frustration that led to the decision earlier in the year. Less patient teams would've already made the move in hopes of finding a more productive coaching style. Helping drive home just what a failure this season has been defensively, the 2-13 Las Vegas Raiders are giving up nearly five fewer points per game than Dallas.
The only way the Cowboys aren't in the discussion for the league's top pick are the heroics of quarterback Dak Prescott and an offensive attack that has quietly been among the league's best. With this in mind, there seems to be no escaping a change at the end of the season.
Jones appears destined to fire Eberflus and give head coach Brian Schottenheimer one more year to get it right. Whether or not this is the right decision depends entirely on finding the right defensive coordinator and making needed offseason improvements after what has been another frustrating and wasted season.