Matt Eberflus‘ tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bears didn’t exactly end on a high note. His exit came after a cringe-worthy Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions in November 2024, where he botched the final seconds, leaving fans and analysts shaking their heads. That misstep sealed his fate with the Bears, but it turns out the NFL isn’t done with him yet.
In a twist of fate, Eberflus has landed on his feet with a fresh gig as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for the 2025 season. And he’s not stepping into just any situation-he’ll be teaming up with Brian Schottenheimer, a first-time head coach eager to make his mark.
Eberflus’s time in Chicago wasn’t a trophy-filled joyride. His win-loss record left plenty to be desired, and Bears fans won’t soon forget the struggles. But he’s spinning that rocky experience into a positive for his new role. This week, he opened up about how those tough lessons could help Schottenheimer, who’s navigating the head coaching waters for the first time.
“The first couple meetings I had with him, I said, ‘I’m here for you,‘” Eberflus shared, as reported by Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. “I want to really just do a good job of bouncing ideas off of [him], experiences that I had and just working together to be able to utilize me. Because I do have the experience of being a head coach for him and to make his job easier.”
Eberflus’ redemption story begins
That’s a classy move from Eberflus-offering his battle scars as a resource rather than just licking his wounds. His Bears stint was a crash course in what not to do, from clock management blunders to team morale challenges.
Now, he’s bringing that hard-earned wisdom to Dallas, where the Cowboys are hoping to dodge the same pitfalls. Schottenheimer, known for his offensive chops from years as a coordinator, might lean on Eberflus’s perspective to keep the team steady in 2025.
For the Cowboys, this pairing could be a hidden gem. Eberflus knows defense-he was a solid coordinator before Chicago-and his head coaching flops don’t erase that expertise. If he can guide Schottenheimer through the rookie head coach jitters while locking down the Dallas D, this duo might surprise folks. After all, sometimes the best lessons come from the messiest failures, and Eberflus is ready to prove it in Big D.
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