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Matt Eberflus

Saints Expected To Name Kellen Moore As HC

February 11th, 2025 at 8:31am CST by Rory Parks

FEBRUARY 11: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms the Moore hire should be finalized shortly (video link). He adds that Nussmeier is indeed the top name to watch regarding New Orleans’ offensive coordinator spot, while Staley is firmly in contention to handle defensive coordinator duties. In the wake of winning their second Super Bowl in franchise history, the Eagles will soon need to find a new OC.

FEBRUARY 9: Once Mike McCarthy withdrew his name from consideration for the Saints’ head coaching job – the only such vacancy that remains in this year’s cycle – Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore became the clear favorite for the post. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, Moore is indeed expected to be named as New Orleans’ next HC.

Of course, Moore will first try to win a championship ring today as Philadelphia seeks to prevent a Chiefs three-peat and avenge its narrow loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII. In Moore’s first (and likely only) year with the club, the Eagles finished seventh in points scored and eighth in total offense, a performance that bolstered his already strong head coaching stock.

In three of his four seasons as Cowboys offensive coordinator from 2019-22, Dallas ranked sixth or better in scoring, and Moore became a popular name on the head coaching circuit as a result. While he did not end up landing an HC gig, he never fell below the coordinator ranks, taking a job as the Chargers’ OC in 2023 before moving on to the Eagles in 2024. He was even rumored to be the frontrunner for the Dallas HC post that McCarthy (his former boss) just vacated, before Jerry Jones surprisingly pivoted to Brian Schottenheimer.

Given the Saints’ middling roster, uncertain quarterback situation, and familiar salary cap woes, the New Orleans opening is not considered an especially attractive one, so landing a sought-after candidate with strong credentials can reasonably be classified as a coup for GM Mickey Loomis & Co. One of Moore’s first tasks as the Saints’ sideline general will be to shape the club’s direction at quarterback, including how to proceed with incumbent Derek Carr .

Another clear indicator that Moore will remain in New Orleans after today’s Super Bowl in the Superdome is the fact that the 36-year-old was making calls to potential staffers prior to Super Bowl week (via FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz). ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (subscription required) names 49ers assistant coach Brandon Staley and Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards as potential defensive coordinator candidates.

Staley was Moore’s boss in 2023 when the former served as the Chargers’ head coach, though neither he nor Edwards received a defensive coordinator interview this year. Just as the Eagles’ playoff success delayed Moore’s eligibility to join another club and may have forced the Cowboys to go in a different direction at head coach, that delay also could have prevented Moore from landing some of his preferred assistants.

Klayton Adams and Matt Eberflus, who recently accepted Dallas’ offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator jobs, respectively, were also seen as strong candidates for Moore’s first staff, according to Fowler. Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, who has worked with Moore in Dallas, Los Angeles, and now Philadelphia, is seen as a potential OC option for the Saints if they move forward with the Moore hire.

Bears Expected To Extend GM Ryan Poles; Team Authorizes Upper-Crust HC Salary For Ben Johnson

February 4th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Going 0-for-3 in winning seasons as Bears GM, Ryan Poles nevertheless received a vote of confidence from team president Kevin Warren. The third-year Bears honcho installed Poles as the leader of the HC search process, doing so shortly after the club’s decision to can Matt Eberflus.

Poles arrived in Chicago two days before the Bears hired Eberflus. This gave the ex-Chiefs exec say in whom the Bears hired, albeit without him running the 2022 search. As such, Poles will be more closely tied to his second HC hire. The Bears’ latest HC add comes with much greater fanfare compared to Eberflus, and due to the demand Ben Johnson created, a high salary will come with it.

The Bears signed off on a $13MM-per-year deal for Johnson, according to ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin. That AAV more than doubles Eberflus’, with Cronin placing that at $6MM. While three AFC West coaches (Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh) are out-earning Johnson, not many others are. With coaching salaries not tied to the cap, teams are not required to make them public. But Johnson’s money likely checks in as a top-10 HC salary. It came after the Bears won a bidding war of sorts.

Johnson, 38, received extensive interest from the Jaguars and Raiders. While Mark Davis said the Raiders never made an offer, they were linked to preparing a big-ticket HC contract to add the successful Lions OC. The Jaguars also were believed to have Johnson atop their list. Trent Baalke‘s presence impeded Jacksonville — though, Johnson was believed to have stopped short of asking the Jaguars to move on from their then-GM — while Tom Brady‘s Raiders sales pitch could not match what the Bears presented.

That said, the two coaches Las Vegas and Jacksonville did ultimately hire — Liam Coen, Pete Carroll — will not have holdover GMs. The Jags are still searching — for an exec Coen will need to approve — while the Raiders hired ex-Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek. Johnson will work with Poles, but Cronin adds the high-end play-caller did not call for the Bears to start fresh at GM. Furthermore, Poles is likely to receive an extension that aligns with Johnson’s deal.

As it stands, Poles is signed through the 2026 season. However, Cronin adds the Bears are expected to authorize an extension to align Poles with Johnson. This will be a significant development for Poles, who is 15-36 as a GM. The Bears gave Poles’ predecessor — Ryan Pace — more time (seven seasons), and his first playoff berth did not come until his fourth season. Pace’s second HC hire (Matt Nagy) was responsible for that, after John Fox preceded Eberflus in going 0-for-3 in postseason appearances in Chicago.

The Bears gave Pace an extension during his fourth GM offseason as well, aligning him with Nagy. Although Warren is a new piece to this puzzle, a Poles deal coming this offseason would be quite similar to the Bears’ previous front office timeline.

Poles, 39, has certainly not been the most successful member of the 2022 GM hiring class. Neither Kwesi Adofo-Mensah nor Omar Khan has received an extension yet, despite two playoff berths occurring on their respective watches. The Giants have retained Joe Schoen, though he has also not received an extension and will enter 2025 on a hot seat. The Raiders fired Dave Ziegler midway through his second season. Poles beating his group to an extension would be surprising, but Pace’s tenure shows the Bears giving their GMs more time than HCs to turn the operation around.

An extension certainly does not make a GM bulletproof, as the 2022 ouster of Jon Robinson (Titans) and 2023 dismissal of Steve Keim (Cardinals) show. But a second contract will obviously prove financially beneficial for Poles. The Bears were able to land the biggest fish in this year’s coaching pool, however, and Poles would appear to be receiving tremendous credit for it. How Johnson fares with Caleb Williams will define Poles’ GM tenure in Chicago, but the young exec may not be facing a situation where he is on a particularly hot seat going into his fourth season.

Cowboys Hire Matt Eberflus As DC

January 28th, 2025 at 10:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 28: As expected, this hire is now official. The Cowboys announced on Tuesday that Eberflus has returned to the organization under the defensive coordinator title. His second stint in Dallas will double as his second DC gig in the NFL.

JANUARY 27: Matt Eberflus‘ name quickly emerged as one to watch closely regarding the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator vacancy. With Mike Zimmer known to be out of the picture, the former Bears head coach is indeed on track to fill that position.

Eberflus is set to interview with Dallas for the DC gig today, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that meeting is expected to result in a hire. Provided that proves to be the case, this will mark a return to the Cowboys for Eberflus. He worked as the team’s linebackers coach from 2012-17.

When the news broke of former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer being promoted to head coach, Eberflus was named as the team’s top target for the defensive coordinator position. Dallas has since conducted one other DC interview (Andre Curtis, who worked under Eberflus with the Bears and is a candidate to land a role on the Cowboys’ staff). A request was also recently made to speak with Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow, but given this latest update it remains to be seen if that meeting will actually take place.

In any event, Eberflus is set to handle coordinator responsibilities for the second time in his career. After his first Cowboys stint, he worked as the Colts’ DC for four years. Indianapolis ranked top-1o in points allowed three times in that span, and as a result his head coaching stock was high when Chicago hired him. Eberflus’ Bears tenure did not go according to plan, though, and after entering the 2024 season on the hot seat he was among the NFL’s midseason firings.

Given the clock-management issues and player dissatisfaction which emerged at the end of his Bears run, Eberflus may have a long wait until his next HC opportunity arises. In the meantime, the 54-year-old is in line to take charge of a unit which dealt with a slew of injuries this past season but still fell short of expectations. During Zimmer’s first (and only) year in his second Cowboys coordinator stint, Dallas finished 28th in total defense and 31st in points allowed. To say the least, improvement on that side of the ball will be key in 2025.

With Schottenheimer in place as head coach, Dallas is still in need of a OC. The Cowboys are also among those seeking out a new special teams coordinator. While the searches to fill those vacancies will continue, it appears one coordinator position will officially be taken care of by the end of the day.

Cowboys To Hire Nick Sorensen As ST Coordinator

January 28th, 2025 at 9:52am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys have their new head coach in place, and their coordinator vacancies are filling up in short order. Matt Eberflus remains on track to take over Dallas’ defense, while a new special teams hire is on tap.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Cowboys are finalizing a deal with Eberflus to take on DC responsibilities as expected. He adds that Nick Sorensen is also nearing a deal to become the team’s new ST coordinator. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network was the first to report the latter hire was expected.

Sorensen had a 10-year playing career in the NFL and he quickly transitioned to coaching after it ended in 2010. He had an eight-year tenure with the Seahawks as an assistant special teams staffer and, later a defensive backs coach. His third phase experience landed him the Jaguars’ special teams coordinator gig in 2021, although that only lasted one season. Sorensen was not retained when Jacksonville hired Doug Pederson, and he moved on to San Francisco as a result.

The 46-year-old joined the 49ers’ staff as a defensive assistant in 2022, but he took on larger responsibilities the following season. After Steve Wilks became a one-and-done DC, Kyle Shanahan elected to go internal with his next hire. Sorensen took charge of the team’s defense for 2024, although his unit did not meet expectations as part of a generally forgettable campaign. Shanahan gave him something of a vote of confidence toward the end of the season, but in short order it became clear he would not retain his D-coordinator duties for 2025.

The door remained open at that point to Sorensen taking over San Francisco’s special teams, but it was announced yesterday that Brant Boyer will be doing so. Instead of taking a lesser role somewhere on Shanahan’s staff, Sorensen was left in need of a new opportunity. It has presented itself rather quickly.

John Fassel had been in place with the Cowboys since 2020. His tenure running Dallas’ special teams represented an improvement from where the unit had been previously, but Fassel recently joined the Titans as their ST coordinator. To replace him, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has brought in a familiar face since he and Sorensen worked together in Jacksonville as well as Seattle. Now, attention will turn to the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator vacancy.

2025 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

January 26th, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, half the league changed up at offensive and defensive coordinator. As most HC-needy teams have now filled their open positions, the coordinator carousel has accelerated. Here is how the market looks now. When other teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-21-25 (1:59pm CT)

Offensive coordinators

Chicago Bears (Out: Chris Beatty)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Ken Dorsey)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Brian Schottenheimer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Ben Johnson)

  • John Morton, pass-game coordinator (Broncos): Hired

Houston Texans (Out: Bobby Slowik)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Press Taylor)

Las Vegas Raiders 

New England Patriots (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Klint Kubiak)

New York Jets (Out: Nathaniel Hackett)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Kevin Patullo, pass-game coordinator (Eagles): Promoted

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Ryan Grubb)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Liam Coen)

Defensive coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Jimmy Lake)

Chicago Bears (Out: Eric Washington)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Lou Anarumo)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Mike Zimmer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Aaron Glenn)

  • Larry Foote, inside linebackers coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Kelvin Sheppard, linebackers coach (Lions): Promoted

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Gus Bradley)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

  • Anthony Campanile, linebackers coach/running game coordinator (Packers): Hired
  • Jonathan Cooley, pass-game coordinator (Panthers): Interview requested
  • Patrick Graham, former defensive coordinator (Raiders): Interviewed 1/27
  • Daronte Jones, defensive pass-game coordinator (Vikings): Interviewed 1/27
  • Aubrey Pleasant, defensive pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/28

Las Vegas Raiders 

New England Patriots (Out: DeMarcus Covington)

  • Ryan Crow, outside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/21
  • Terrell Williams, defensive line coach (Lions): Hired

New Orleans Saints (Out: Joe Woods)

New York Jets (Out: Jeff Ulbrich)

  • Chris Harris, former defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator (Titans): Interviewed 1/29
  • Steve Wilks, former defensive coordinator (49ers): To be hired

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Nick Sorensen)

Cowboys Conduct DC Interview With Andre Curtis; Matt Eberflus Remains Likely Hire

January 26th, 2025 at 4:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Mike Zimmer no longer in the fold, the Cowboys are in need of a new defensive coordinator. Matt Eberflus is a name to watch closely on that front, but at least one other option has received a look.

Dallas conducted a DC interview with Andre Curtis, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Curtis has experience in a number of positional roles across his time in the NFL, the most recent being as the Bears’ safeties coach. He has held that title since 2022.

Curtis began his coaching career at the Virginia Military Institute, working as the program’s linebackers coach for four years. That was followed by a two-year stint at Georgia Southern before he received his first NFL opportunity. The 48-year-old held a role on the Giants’ staff from 2006-08, and after that he worked with the Rams, Saints and Seahawks. Curtis worked his way up to passing game coordinator at the end of his Seattle tenure, serving in that role for three years.

As DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr. notes, this interview satisfies the Rooney Rule requirement for the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator spot. He adds, however, that Eberflus is still on track to earn the position. Eberflus had his first head coaching stint come to an abrupt end midway through the season when the Bears fired him, but prior to his Chicago posting he built up his stock as the Colts’ DC. It would be feasible for the 54-year-old’s next coaching opportunity came at the coordinator level.

Hill notes, though, that Curtis is a prime candidate to work as Dallas’ defensive backs coach. Having worked together with Eberflus in Chicago, the pair could look to continue their relationship with the Cowboys. Familiarity also exists between Curtis and new head coach Brian Schottenheimer dating back to their shared time in Seattle. Nothing is in place yet, but at this point it would come as no surprise if Curtis’ next stop in his coaching stop were to come in Dallas.

Mike Zimmer Will Not Return To Cowboys, Likely To Retire

January 26th, 2025 at 12:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

When the Cowboys elected to part ways with former head coach Mike McCarthy earlier this month, the writing was on the wall for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who joined the Dallas staff in 2024 and whose future with the club was tied to McCarthy’s. Zimmer has now confirmed that he will not return to the Cowboys as a member of new HC Brian Schottenheimer’s staff, and that he will likely retire from coaching in the NFL (per WFAA’s Ed Werder, who confirms prior reports that Matt Eberflus is in line to replace Zimmer as DC).

Given that Zimmer is now 68, retirement was an obvious option as soon as it became clear he was unlikely to be back with the Cowboys in 2025. Now, it seems he is more certain about stepping away from the NFL sidelines for good. Werder adds Zimmer likely would have been interested in Dallas’ HC position had he received an offer, but that did not come to pass. 

Zimmer began his coaching career as a defensive assistant with the University of Missouri in 1979, and his first professional gig came as a defensive assistant on the Cowboys’ staff in 1994 (he earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the club in 1995). He worked his way up the Dallas ranks and operated as the team’s defensive coordinator from 2000-06 before taking the same job with the Falcons in 2007 and then working as the Bengals’ DC from 2008-13.

Although Cincinnati famously never won a playoff game during Marvin Lewis‘ tenure as head coach, Zimmer’s arrival in the Queen City coincided with the team’s ascension to regular competitiveness. During his six-year stint as defensive coordinator, the Bengals never finished lower than 15th in total defense and posted two top-10 and two top-five finishes in that span. That run of success garnered Zimmer head coaching interest, and the Vikings hired him as their HC in 2014.

Over the course of eight years in Minnesota, Zimmer coached the team to a record of .500 or better five times. The Vikings made three playoff appearances during his tenure, but after a pair of losing seasons in 2020 and ’21 – along with no runs beyond the divisional round during his overall time in Minnesota – Zimmer was dismissed. For the following two years, he remained out of the pro game by handling a consultant role under Deion Sanders at Jackson State and then Colorado.

After seeing Dan Quinn depart to take the Commanders’ head coaching gig, the Cowboys prioritized experience in looking for his replacement. Rex Ryan was firmly in the running last offseason, but in the end Zimmer returned to his former position amidst high expectations. Quinn led Dallas’ defense to a fifth-place finish in both points and yards allowed in 2023, and a repeat of that performance would have gone a long way in allowing for another postseason appearance this past year.

In addition to Zimmer’s unit losing a number of key players after they followed Quinn to Washington, though, injuries were a defining aspect of the campaign. The likes of Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown (amongst others) all missed time with major ailments and the Cowboys ranked near the bottom of the league in several defensive categories. Especially with McCarthy not coming back, Zimmer’s decision to step away comes as little surprise.

The latter said in August he would welcome the opportunity to once again serve as a head coach in the NFL, but he added he felt that would be unlikely. Interest in Zimmer could be generated if he changed course and elected to continue coaching, but for the time being it appears his time on the sidelines is coming to an end after 23 years as either a coordinator or head coach at the pro level.

Rory Parks contributed to this post. 

Cowboys Hire Brian Schottenheimer As HC; Matt Eberflus Being Eyed For DC

January 24th, 2025 at 8:46pm CST by Ely Allen

After a relatively short search, the Cowboys have officially made the decision to promote offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer into the role of head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Schottenheimer, 51, was one of only four candidates who interviewed for the position and will now be working his first-ever head coaching role. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the deal will be for four years. Although this marks the second straight narrow HC search for the Cowboys, Schottenheimer was not a candidate anywhere else — and has not been for several years. He was believed to be vying for the role with OC predecessor Kellen Moore, after the likes of Deion Sanders and Jason Witten surfaced as unorthodox candidates. While Schottenheimer supplies far more experience in coaching, his hire may not be too much less surprising than a Sanders or Witten appointment would have been.

Brian Schottenheimer, the son of former standout HC Marty Schottenheimer, has been with the Cowboys for three years now. His first was simply as a consultant, but he was quickly promoted to offensive coordinator when Moore was dismissed. While he inherited an offense that finished third in scoring and 10th in yardage in 2022, the Cowboys finished as the top scoring offense with the fifth-most yards in Schottenheimer’s first season as the team’s OC.

The 2024 Cowboys offense finished 21st in scoring and 17th in total yards, though it’s important to note that Schottenheimer did not call plays during his tenure in Dallas. Dak Prescott also went down midway through the season, gutting the team’s chances at a rebound. While Prescott still stumped for Mike McCarthy to be retained, an unexpected half-measure of sorts is taking place via the Schottenheimer promotion.

This week’s two Schottenheimer interviews and steady rumors notwithstanding, it marks a stunning rise for the second-generation NFL coach. Schottenheimer has, however, been an NFL assistant dating back to the late 1990s and has enjoyed three OC opportunities in the league. He has served as an NFL OC for 11 combined seasons, doing so with the Jets, Rams and Cowboys.

A former backup quarterback behind Danny Wuerffel at Florida under Steve Spurrier, Schottenheimer got his start in the NFL immediately out of college. He started his well-traveled coaching career as a coaching assistant in St. Louis before taking the same job under his father, in Kansas City. The next two years saw him coach wide receivers at Syracuse and tight ends at USC before returning to the NFL for the Washington gig. He then coached QBs for four years in San Diego before earning his first offensive coordinator opportunity for the Jets.

After six seasons in New York, Schottenheimer received walking papers midway through Rex Ryan‘s tenure. Schottenheimer ended up as Jeff Fisher‘s first OC in St. Louis (in 2012), leaving after the 2014 season to take the same job under Mark Richt at Georgia. Following Richt’s dismissal, Schottenheimer returned to the NFL as the Colts’ quarterbacks coach in 2016, staying for only two years before scoring his next coordinator opportunity with the Seahawks. Despite relative success in Seattle, Schottenheimer was fired due to “philosophical differences.” He rebounded for a year as passing game coordinator in Jacksonville before arriving in Dallas in 2022.

Schottenheimer’s history as a play-caller has been rocky. In stints with the Jets, Rams, Seahawks, and Jaguars where he called plays, Schottenheimer was often criticized for conservative play-calling. The “philosophical differences” in Seattle was externally perceived as a limitation of Russell Wilson‘s athletic and improvisational style with questionable play-calling. That said, Wilson’s Hall of Fame case will certainly hinge on his post-Legion of Boom work in Seattle; Schottenheimer played a big part in that period of the decorated QB’s career. Criticism toward Seattle’s then-OC aside, the Seahawks ranked as a top-10 offense in each season and went 3-for-3 in playoff appearances in that span.

Any method to spin this in a positive direction, however, may be difficult due to another odd HC transition under Jerry Jones taking place. Schottenheimer’s hiring after a quick interview process continues what’s been a questionable string of decisions by the Cowboys’ owner/president/general manager.

While Schottenheimer could certainly work out in the job, Jones’ seemingly lazy handling of the decision not to extend McCarthy’s contract is a continuance of inaction that saw over-inflated extensions for Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb as a result of rising market costs from extensions that got done earlier. Jones’ tendency to wait on important decisions, as he did when waiting to drop Jason Garrett after the 2019 season, continues to limit the team’s options and handicap their leverage in negotiations.

In addition to news about the head coaching hire, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has reported that the team has homed in on former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus as their prime candidate to serve as defensive coordinator under Schottenheimer. Some beat reporters for the team mistakenly reported that Eberflus had been hired to the position, but as Ed Werder of WFAA notes, they are required to conduct interviews before making the final decision to hire a candidate. The Cowboys must meet with at least one external minority candidate before an Eberflus hire can take place.

Regardless of the unusual route the Cowboys took to make this happen, Schottenheimer becomes the 10th head coach in the franchise’s storied history. Schottenheimer follows some big names for the position in Dallas, and expectations will be for him to turn around a franchise that has seen continued regular-season success but has not been to an NFC championship game in 30 years — the longest such drought in the conference by a significant margin.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Falcons Interview Matt Eberflus For Defensive Coordinator Job

January 18th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Ben Levine

It might not take long for Matt Eberflus to find his next gig. The Falcons announced that they interviewed the former Bears head coach for their defensive coordinator job.

After getting fired by the Bears in late November, it didn’t take long for Eberflus to pop back up during the hiring cycle. Reports tied him to the DC vacancy in Cincinnati, although there hasn’t been word of a definitive interview. Now, he’s a candidate with the Falcons, who have been seeking a replacement for Jimmy Lake.

Eberflus would bring plenty of experience to the role. After working his way up the college ranks, he got his first NFL gig with the Browns coaching linebackers. He held that same title with the Cowboys before getting hired as the Colts defensive coordinator in 2018. Indy’s defense finished top-10 in points allowed in three of the coach’s four seasons at the helm, and Eberflus quickly became a popular head coaching candidate.

He got that opportunity in Chicago, where he was named the Bears head coach in 2022. Eberflus squeezed only three wins out of his team during his first season, but he guided the squad to seven wins in 2023. Armed with first-overall pick Caleb Williams and a handful of notable offseason acquisitions, the Bears were prepared to take another step forward in 2024. After riding a 4-2 record into their Week 7 bye, the Bears proceeded to go on an epic losing streak. Eberflus was let go six games into the Bears’ eventual 10-game skid.

It sounds like Eberflus’ stint in Chicago didn’t tarnish his reputation, and he’ll now join a growing list of candidates to coach the Falcons’ defense. As our 2025 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker shows, the Falcons have now interviewed seven candidates for the DC job:

Matt Eberflus “Involved” In Bengals’ DC Search

January 10th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t appear to be staying inactive for long. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Eberflus “is involved in the Bengals’ defensive coordinator search.” While the wording of the report is vague, it likely indicates that Eberflus is a candidate to take over for the Bengals’ open coordinator job.

Eberflus has held some position in coaching since he finished college in 1992, so it’s no surprise that, following his dismissal from Chicago, he’s put himself back on the market for a coaching job. After nearly 20 years of coaching at the collegiate level at Toledo and Missouri, Eberflus first broke into the NFL as a linebackers coach for the Browns in 2009. He held the same job in Dallas for five years before adding passing game coordinator to his title.

In 2018, Eberflus got his first opportunity as an NFL defensive coordinator in Indianapolis. Eberflus almost immediately started getting head coaching buzz, interviewing for an open position in Cleveland in 2019, but that job ultimately went to Freddie Kitchens. Instead, Eberflus remained in Indianapolis until 2022, when he was granted his first head coaching opportunity in Chicago.

The Bears saw big improvements on defense over Eberflus’ three seasons with the team, but offensive struggles continued as Chicago attempted to handle the first few years of Justin Fields‘ career and eventually moved on to Caleb Williams. The Bears made Eberflus the first head coach in the franchise’s storied history to be fired midseason. Overall, Eberflus went 14-32 in his first stint as a head coach.

The Bengals fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo after watching a defense that finished 26th in scoring defense and 25th in yards allowed derail a season that saw a top-10 offense in which their quarterback led the league in passing yards and touchdowns and their wide receiver won the receiving triple crown. Anarumo had been in place as the Bengals DC ever since Zac Taylor was hired as head coach.

If Eberflus lands on his feet as a defensive coordinator once again, it would be only his second coordinator job in the NFL. Still, the Bengals are desperate to see improvement on the defensive side of the ball in order to maximize what they hope will be at least one more year with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.

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