The Dallas Cowboys did not wait long when reviewing which members of their coaching staff should be retained for the 2026 season, as they quickly fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after his team ranked near the bottom in many key categories. Dallas' offense was much better than a unit on a 7-9-1 team should be.
On paper, the Eberflus hire made a ton of sense. The recently deposed head coach of the Chicago Bears had some very strong defenses during his tenure in charge, and his work as DC with the Indianapolis Colts was exemplary enough to lead to him getting a head coaching job.
While this hire didn't work out, that may not be enough to stop Jerry Jones from using that same process to bring in a coach who is well-regarded around the league for his defensive acumen despite his struggles in 2025.
The Arizona Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon after a 3-14 campaign in 2025. His defensive potential may be high, but Jones needs to realize that the potential for Gannon to replicate all of Eberflus' struggles to a T is alarmingly high. He needs to pass.
Cowboys must avoid hiring Jonathan Gannon as defensive coordinator
Gannon and the Cardinals started the season 2-0, and the defense looked like one of the better units in the league, but things soon cratered back to a point of brutality after Arizona lost 14 of their final 15 games. The only win, naturally, came against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
Unlike Eberflus, who fired DC Alan Williams and was essentially running the unit as his own in Chicago, Gannon delegated a ton of responsibility to young wunderkind Nick Rallis. While it seems likely that Rallis will get a job at some point in the coming days, Gannon may not be afforded that same luxury.
Fans will have to go back to his Eagles defensive coordinator days in 2022 to find a defense that Gannon both coordinated primarily and had performing at an above-average level. While not as committed to heavy zone coverage as Eberflus, Gannon's playbook isn't going to look that dissimilar.
Jerry Jones does like hiring former head coaches to assistant coach roles (see Mike Zimmer and Dan Quinn), and Gannon does have some familiarity with Cowboys OC Klayton Adams from their time in Arizona, but this team needs some new blood, not another failed coach trying to get back on track.