The Dallas Cowboys seem to be ready to move on from defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. At the very least, owner Jerry Jones has admitted the veteran coach is under evaluation while consistently showing his frustration with the defense.

With the end of the regular season just one week away, it’s a good time to start thinking about replacement candidates if the Cowboys fire Eberflus. And I believe there’s a “big fish” Dallas should be interested in: Cleveland Browns DC Jim Schwartz.

Schwartz is a no-brainer

The Browns might be a team that can’t figure it out, but the defense under Schwartz has been as consistently great as it gets over the last three years. Since 2023, the Browns rank first in the NFL in EPA/play allowed, dropback EPA/play allowed, dropback success rate allowed, and are No. 2 in rush success rate allowed. That’s with nearly no help from the offense.

Schwartz’s resume is a strong one beyond his recent run at Cleveland. He’s a Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator (Eagles, 2017) who has 17 years of experience at DC. For the Cowboys, he could be the right kind of change. Schwartz isn’t nearly as conservative as Eberflus, yet he isn’t as aggressive as Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer.

With Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer running things on offense, Schwartz could be the perfect guy to run the defense. Based on how the 2025 Browns defense continues to play with high effort, even in a four-win season with no offense, I wouldn’t be concerned about whether Schwartz can command a locker room.

Additionally, Schwartz would be a good change of pace in more than one way. Quinn got to Dallas one year after being fired as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Eberflus did as well after being let go by the Chicago Bears. Between them, Zimmer was hired after spending three years away from the NFL.

Landing Schwartz would show the Cowboys are serious

Now, this is a move that wouldn’t be cheap.

After all, hiring Schwartz would be getting someone who has been very successful recently. That’s because if Schwartz is available, it won’t be because he was fired for performance, but rather because of a new coaching staff potentially taking over in Cleveland. That, however, likely means many NFL teams would be interested in him. That often leads to bidding wars, which the Cowboys often lose.

If Jerry Jones were to secure Schwartz in the offseason, it could signal a higher willingness to spend in what will be a crucial 2026 offseason.

Will Jim Schwartz even be available?

To better illustrate whether Schwartz will be available after such a good year with the Browns, I reached out to A to Z Sports Cleveland’s Brandon Little to get his insight.

Little: “The Browns are one team likely to soon open up their head-coaching gig. Kevin Stefanski may have two Coach of the Year awards under his belt, but the last two seasons have been unacceptable, regardless of the personal accolades. Cleveland is just 6-26 over the last two years, and the biggest reason is the dreadful offense they’ve put on the field. Stefanski is an offensive-minded coach, yet the Browns have had the worst offense in the league during that span. That doesn’t bode well for his future.

“As a result, I don’t think that means good things for Jim Schwartz’s future in Cleveland either. Schwartz returned in 2023, and the Browns immediately had the league’s top defense, helping them reach the playoffs despite poor quarterback play. Cleveland’s defense is once again elite in 2025, and Myles Garrett is having a season unlike anything we’ve seen before. The attacking front of Schwartz’s defense has been the backbone of the Browns over the last couple of seasons, but if Stefanski is out, Schwartz likely is too. If the Browns hire a new head coach, they’ll probably want to bring in their own staff entirely. Schwartz would be gone by default, not because of anything he’s done wrong.

“Schwartz’s defense has worn down late in the season the past couple of years as the lack of complementary football has taken its toll. Those late-season lapses are really the only blemish on Schwartz’s tenure in Cleveland. The Browns have a championship-caliber defense paired with an offense that looks like it should be picking No. 1 overall next April. Unfortunately, I believe that’s going to impact Schwartz in the end.”

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