Cowboys Headlines: What's next for defense; Jason Garrett to return to coaching?

4 days ago 2

The Cowboys chose not to wait in dropping the bombshell most fans had been expecting. Matt Eberflus was fired as defensive coordinator Tuesday morning, but that's really just the beginning, not the end, of the bigger story. Because now the Cowboys have a whole slew of other decisions to make on how to fix the historically bad unit Eberflus leaves behind.

Jerry Jones admitted that "change is needed," and several Cowboys players seemed to echo that sentiment on social media, but what- or who- happens next? As theories start brewing over which candidate might be the best fit, remember that one résumé line-item seems to matter more for Dallas DCs of late than any other: previous head coaching experience. Will that hold true again, or will the club roll the dice on an unproven up-and-comer? Like... maybe a former assistant who was once thought to be a coordinator-in-waiting and just got handed his walking papers???

Also in the news, the team started building its 2026 depth by signing nine rising contributors to futures contracts... and could the true key to ending the Super Bowl drought lie in axing the other sideline fixture that Cowboys Nation has come to despise? Maybe it's time for Rowdy to finally ride off into the sunset.

Elsewhere on the coaching carousel, not one but two former Cowboys skippers could be in the mix for a move to Nashville. Mike McCarthy appears to be one of the betting favorites for the Tennessee job, but Jason Garrett is also stepping out of TV studio to interview. Either hire could make next season's Cowboys home date versus the Titans very interesting. Also, the Ravens shocked everyone- including their own players- with the firing of John Harbaugh, and the Lions' high-powered offense is getting a new mastermind as they try to return to power in the NFC.

Around the league, a Bengals DB will do jail time for reckless driving, the Eagles should get a key piece of their defense back in time for wild-card weekend, and the Falcons prepare to cut Kirk Cousins loose. Then we dive into the growing problem of network broadcasters taking executive positions with NFL teams as a part-time side hustle: why is the obvious conflict of interest not setting off more alarm bells?

Here's the news from an eventful Tuesday.

Dallas Cowboys Top Headlines

Moving on from Matt Eberflus is only the first step in fixing Cowboys’ defensive mess :: Dallas Morning News (Link)
Players, social media reactions show Cowboys' Eberflus had low support :: Cowboys Wire (Link)
Jerry Jones: It was clear a change was needed :: The Mothership (Link)
10 candidates to replace Eberflus as coordinator after Cowboys firing :: Cowboys Wire (Link)
Impact: How history could narrow down Cowboys' next DC options :: The Mothership (Link)
Cowboys' defense woefully predictable in 2025, shocking stat evidence :: Cowboys Wire (Link)
Commanders fire 2 coordinators with Cowboys ties; could former assistant return? :: Cowboys Wire (Link)
Cowboys $3 million investment named Top 20 free agency pickup of 2025 :: Cowboys Wire (Link)
Super Bowl champ, 5th-round RB, training camp stars among Cowboys' futures signings :: Cowboys Wire (Link)
The Curse of Rowdy: Why it’s past time for the Cowboys to retire their mascot :: D Magazine (Link)

NFL Coaching News & Headlines

Jason Garrett will interview for the Titans’ head coaching job :: ProFootballTalk (Link)
Titans next head coach odds: Matt Nagy, Robert Saleh, Mike McCarthy favored to land job :: SI.com (Link)
Ravens players found out about John Harbaugh's firing on social media :: Ravens Wire (Link)
Lions fire offensive coordinator John Morton after one season :: NFL.com (Link)

News & Headlines from Around the NFL

Bengals' Cam Taylor-Britt sentenced for driving incident :: ESPN (Link)
Nakobe Dean expected to return for Philadelphia Eagles-San Francisco 49ers playoff game :: CBS News (Link)
Falcons restructure Kirk Cousins deal, setting up likely post-June 1 release :: The Falcoholic (Link)
Does the NFL have a credibility crisis in its broadcasting ranks? :: Awful Announcing (Link)