The Dallas Cowboys aren’t technically eliminated from playoff contention just yet, but their stunning loss to the Minnesota Vikings essentially ended their hopes of finding their way into the postseason. As a result, this will go down as another disappointing season for the Cowboys, and the finger-pointing is already beginning to get underway.
Ahead of the team’s Week 16 action, Jerry Jones made some eye-opening comments about defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, which led to one of the franchise’s legendary quarterbacks, Troy Aikman, calling out the longtime owner. After catching wind of Aikman’s comments, Jones’ son, Stephen Jones, responded to the sudden drama surrounding Eberflus.
Stephen Jones Addresses Troy Aikman’s Comments About Matt Eberflus
Dallas has been one of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL this season, thanks in large part to their defense. After trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers right before the start of the 2025 campaign, the Cowboys have struggled to replace him, and that’s made Eberflus’ job much more difficult in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator.
In the wake of the team’s loss to the Vikings, it was revealed that Eberflus would be moving up to the coaches’ box for the team’s final three games of the season, instead of spending time on the sidelines as he had throughout the entirety of the year. Folks were quick to note that this decision came shortly after Jerry Jones’ critical comments about Eberflus.
Aikman took exception with Jones’ comments, saying that any decisions about the team’s coaching staff should fall on head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s shoulders. Stephen Jones attempted to play peacemaker, saying that the majority of the time, Schottenheimer will make the call when it comes to his coaching staff. However, given the Jones family’s involvement in the Cowboys’ franchise, he made it clear they will still have a say, too.
“No, I mean, I would say 99% of the time we go with what coach Schottenheimer and his staff want to go with,” Jones said in response to Aikman’s comments, per The Dallas Morning News. “I mean, anytime you have ownership in anything, you obviously, if you’re keeping up with anything in a responsible way, then you certainly want to know what’s going on. But at the same time, you’re also supportive of the people you put in place to make those decisions.”
Should the Cowboys Fire Matt Eberflus?
GettyDefensive coordinator Matt Eberflus of the Dallas Cowboys
It’s tough to fully blame Eberflus for Dallas’ struggles on defense, because he had to completely revise his game plan in the wake of the Parsons trade. It’s only one player, but Parsons’ ability to wreak havoc opened things up for the Cowboys on this side of the ball. It certainly wasn’t Eberflus’ decision to move on from him, so while he could have done a better job this year, it’s not all his fault.
Had Jones simply paid Parsons, things could have gone very differently for Dallas this season. It’s worth noting that Parsons did just tear his ACL in Week 15, but there’s no telling whether or not that would have happened had he stuck around. Eberflus could be made the scapegoat for the Cowboys’ rough season, but that would simply ignore the slew of other issues this team is currently dealing with.
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