On Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys made the widely expected move to fire defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after just one season on the job. Their next hire will be the fourth defensive coordinator the Cowboys have had in as many seasons. That’s never a good look, especially after missing the playoffs in each of the past two years.
Yet after the Cowboys allowed 30.1 points per game in 2025, more than any other team, Dallas arguably had no choice but to consider a change. Now they’re set to embark on a coordinator search, and considering it’s the Cowboys, their hire could be a fairly high-profile move.
According to The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini, one name to keep an eye on in the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator search is current Minnesota Vikings defensive leader Brian Flores. Typically, coordinators don’t make lateral moves; however, this situation could be different.
Flores’ contract has expired in Minnesota, which means Dallas could freely negotiate a contract with the defensive wizard if there’s mutual interest. However, all indications have suggested that Flores would prefer to stay in Minnesota, unless he can land a promotion to another NFL head coaching role.
With the Cowboys annually facing a lot of outside pressure to compete not just for a playoff spot, but to add to their Super Bowl trophy total, swinging for the fences by hiring Flores would certainly fit the bill. Of course, they’d likely have to outbid the Vikings in doing so, but that may not be a problem for oil tycoon Jerry Jones.
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