What are the Cowboys waiting for with Matt Eberflus?

Black Monday has already reshaped the NFL coaching landscape, but in Dallas, time appears to be moving at a different, and far more frustrating, pace.

As teams across the league waste no time cutting ties with underperforming coaches, the Cowboys are still “evaluating” whether to part ways with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after one of the worst defensive seasons in franchise history. And if the latest reports are accurate, that waiting game could stretch on for nearly two more weeks.

For Cowboys fans, the question has become painfully simple: What, exactly, are they waiting for?

Eberflus’ defensive numbers already made the case

The Cowboys defense allowed 511 total points in the 2025 season, the most ever surrendered by the franchise. Even accounting for the 17-game schedule, the per-game average of 30 points allowed stands as the worst defensive mark in team history.

That disastrous season ended fittingly with a 34-point surrender to the Giants, a loss that punctuated months of blown coverages, missed tackles, and schematic confusion. By any normal NFL standard, those stats alone would have triggered an immediate change. Instead, Eberflus remains employed.

The “10-to-12 day” timeline that has fans furious

According to multiple reports, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys leadership does not expect to make a decision on Eberflus for another 10 to 12 days, citing a lengthy evaluation process that includes exit interviews with players. Brian Schottenheimer reinforced that timeline publicly, stressing patience and process over urgency.

“I don’t think you rush into any of these decisions,” Schottenheimer said. “I think you’ve got to go through the process, and you’ve got to do the work. And the work is not easy. The work is tedious.”

That explanation hasn’t landed well, and for good reason.

This is the same franchise that dragged out decisions on Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy, only to miss out on top coaching candidates in the process. Last year alone, Dallas failed to interview Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, or Liam Coen, all now viewed as among the league’s best coaching minds.

What makes the delay even more baffling is that Jerry Jones has spent the past month publicly criticizing the defense and openly questioning its direction. Historically, once Jones speaks that bluntly about a coach, that coach doesn’t survive. And yet, he’s still there, and the longer he stays, the more the coaching options dwindle.

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