Former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has emerged as a leading contender for the defensive coordinator position with the Dallas Cowboys, following Brian Schottenheimer’s appointment as the team’s head coach. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Eberflus is considered a “prime candidate” to fill the vacant role, which would mark his return to Dallas, where he previously served as an assistant coach from 2011 to 2017.
During his tenure as the Bears’ head coach, Eberflus amassed a 14–32 record across three seasons. His most successful year came in 2023 when the team achieved a modest seven-win campaign. Entering the 2024 season, expectations were high as Eberflus aimed to guide the Bears back to the playoffs, with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams leading the offense. However, after a promising 4–2 start, the season took a sharp downturn. A 10-game losing streak, capped off by a controversial clock management error in a 23–20 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions, led to Eberflus being dismissed. The Bears concluded the season with a disappointing 5–12 record.
If selected for the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator role, Eberflus would face the challenge of revitalizing a defense that struggled significantly in the 2024 season. Despite boasting star talent such as four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Micah Parsons, the Cowboys defense ranked poorly, allowing 27.5 points per game—the second-worst in the league—and conceding 6,039 total yards, the fifth-highest in the NFL.
Eberflus’s potential return to Dallas offers him an opportunity to leverage his defensive expertise and prior experience with the Cowboys organization. His familiarity with the team’s culture, combined with a track record as a defensive strategist, could make him a key figure in Schottenheimer’s plans to rebuild the team’s defense and reestablish its dominance heading into the 2025 campaign.
