The NFL has not been kind to Matt Eberflus over the past several years. The former head coach of the Chicago Bears was fired from his position just over a year ago, and thought he had a nice landing spot when he became the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys.
Teaming up with a new regime led by Brian Schottenheimer, Eberflus likely saw Dallas as a chance to rehab his image and land another coaching job. But life comes at you fast in the NFL, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that the Cowboys fired Eberflus after one year on the job.
Now looking for his third job in three seasons, Eberflus may be running out of chances in the NFL, and his latest firing could make it difficult to earn another chance.
Matt Eberflus Will Have a Tough Time Finding a Job After Cowboys Firing
The Cowboys seemed like a great landing spot for Eberflus. The end of his time in Chicago was marred by poor decisions, such as hiring offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, failing to provide Williams with the necessary infrastructure for success, and a Thanksgiving timeout debacle in front of a national audience that ultimately led to his termination after three seasons and a 14-32 record.
The lack of success meant Eberflus would have to earn another head coaching job, and the Cowboys felt like a good place to do it. Unfortunately, Micah Parsons was traded before the season, robbing Eberflus of one of his impact players and leaving him to rely on his coverage on the back end.
The result not only left the Cowboys with a defense that ranked 31st with 6.1 yards per play allowed and dead last in scoring defense at 30.1 points per game, but was an example of a coach that refused to make adjustments. Cornerback Trevon Diggs was the most vocal critic, insisting that Eberflus play more man coverage, which is the strength of the group, but no changes were made as Jerry Jones openly hinted Eberflus had been fired despite allowing him to finish the season.
Those hints became official on Tuesday as Eberflus looks for a new job. But it’s hard to connect the dots as to where he could end up next. A return to the Indianapolis Colts, where Eberflus served as a defensive coordinator from 2018-21 could be a possibility, but he was part of a staff led by Frank Reich, who has since been replaced by Shane Steichen.
Reich’s ties to the Nick Sirianni coaching tree could also help Eberflus land a job on the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive staff, but it would have to be in a lower capacity, as Vic Fangio is locked in as the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL.
There’s also an outside chance his roots in the Bill Belichick coaching tree could be parlayed into a new job. Eberflus was a linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns under former Belichick protege Eric Mangini from 2009-10, and Mike Vrabel, who played under Belichick for eight seasons, could be looking for a new defensive coordinator as Terrell Williams continues to battle prostate cancer. Even then, it’s more likely that Zak Kuhr takes over if Williams has to step down, which would mean another reduced role.
In a last resort, Eberflus could take his talents to the collegiate ranks. But with most of the vacancies already filled and his last collegiate experience coming as a defensive coordinator at Missouri in 2008, that seems far less likely to happen.
At 55 years old, it’s likely Eberflus will get a chance somewhere. But with several avenues already closed and a muddied track record, finding a new job will be difficult and put his NFL future on the ropes.