In 2025 the Cowboys have brought in Matt Eberflus to lead the defense. Like Richard, Eberflus has a particular brand of football he prefers and populates his roster accordingly. His brand happens to be on par with the direction most of the NFL has been trending in recent seasons: bend but don’t break.

The Colts reached the playoffs twice and were a top-10 scoring defense three times in Eberflus’ four seasons as defensive coordinator. Chicago went 14-32 under Eberflus and never had better than the league’s 18th-best scoring defense.

Now, a new defensive coordinator will enter the mix for the third season in a row, with the Cowboys hiring Matt Eberflus on Monday. And the Cowboys are confident that Parsons will continue to be a dominant force under his new playcaller.