Stephen Jones sends a clear message about Dallas’ future.
The Dallas Cowboys are facing another tough offseason. They are likely to miss the playoffs for a second year in a row, and frustration is now becoming public. This time, it came from executive vice president Stephen Jones.
Stephen Jones spoke on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. He made it clear that the team is unhappy with the defense. They also feel the unit lacks direction. Because of that, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus could be on his way out soon.
Jerry Jones has already hinted at changes over the past few weeks, and Stephen’s comments backed that up. Around the league, Brian Flores’ strong work as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator has made him a popular name. If he’s open to a move, teams will line up.
All signs point to one thing. The Cowboys are preparing to make a proper defensive changes before next season.
Cowboys Defensive Struggles Push Eberflus Toward Exit
Stephen Jones didn’t hide his concern. He said the Cowboys never figured out who they were on defense this season. Also pointing out several failures and made it clear the problem must be fixed, no matter who ends up in charge.
“We got to get an identity on the defensive side of the football,” Jones said on the radio show. “I don’t think we ever established what we were as a defense.”
He explained what went wrong. The defense didn’t force turnovers. It gave up too many big plays. It was never consistent from week to week.
“Whether it’s Coach Eberflus or whoever it is, we have to create an identity,” Jones said. “We’ll go all in.”
His comments matched what Jerry Jones said earlier. The owner also talked about urgency and the need for a clear direction. The timing matters. With one game left, the Cowboys are out of the playoff race. Their defense ranks last in the NFL in points allowed and just gave up the most points in team history.
Matt Eberflus joined the Cowboys before the season as one of Brian Schottenheimer’s first hires. He previously coached the Bears for three years and built a strong defensive reputation with the Colts. He also worked with the Cowboys earlier in his career.
But this season fell apart quickly. The Cowboys lost close games. The defense couldn’t protect leads. The results never improved.
Stephen Jones praised Schottenheimer’s leadership and energy. He said the offense showed a clear identity. The defense and other areas did not.
Now, it’s not about whether change is coming. It’s about when. The Cowboys look ready to move on and face a bigger task ahead. They must find the right leader to fix a broken defense and bring hope back for 2026.
Cowboys and Giants players fought each other in Week 18.
The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants both had nothing to play for when it came to the postseason.
A meaningless Week 18 game descended into chaos. Cowboys rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku had his rookie season end prematurely. He was ejected for pulling the helmet off Giants offensive lineman Greg Van Roten. This went down with 9:52 remaining in the third quarter.
A skirmish between the two teams started following a hit.
Dallas linebacker James Houston hit rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart after Dart threw a 13-yard touchdown to Tyrone Tracy. Van Roten refused to let go of Cowboys defensive lineman Sam Williams’ facemask.
Ezeiruaku held onto Van Roten’s facemask as others ran into the pile. He eventually ripped it right off his head, which led to more flags being thrown. Ezeiruaku was ejected from the contest after that.
Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who was traded for, was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty. Van Roten was not penalized.
Once things had settled down, the Giants then went for the two-point conversion and succeeded. New York would go on to win this game. The New York Giants lost out on the top draft pick with this victory. Las Vegas would clinch it, per ESPN.
