Matt Eberflus Lands With 49ers as Assistant Head Coach of Defense After Cowboys Firing
Matt Eberflus is getting another shot.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the San Francisco 49ers have hired Eberflus as their assistant head coach of defense. The 55-year-old fills the vacancy left by Gus Bradley, who departed to join the Tennessee Titans as defensive coordinator alongside former 49ers DC Robert Saleh.
For Eberflus, the hire represents a meaningful lifeline after what has been a turbulent few years as both a head coach and coordinator. For the 49ers, it represents a calculated move to stabilize a defensive staff that is being rebuilt from the ground up.
A Coaching Career Defined by Highs and Hard Falls
Eberflus built his reputation the right way. As the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, he produced consistent results. The Colts finished 16th or better in total defense and 18th or better in scoring defense in each of his four seasons. His best work came in 2020, when Indianapolis ranked eighth in total defense and 10th in scoring defense. Those numbers were good enough to earn him a head coaching opportunity in Chicago.
What happened next was difficult to watch.
Eberflus went 14-32 as the Bears’ head coach before being fired 12 games into his third season. The defense, the area he was supposed to anchor, was among the worst in the league. Chicago ranked 29th in total defense and dead last in scoring defense in 2022. By 2024, the unit had improved only slightly, finishing 27th in total defense.
The Cowboys gave him a second chance as their defensive coordinator in 2025, but that chapter ended just as badly. Dallas ranked 30th in total yardage allowed and 32nd in points allowed. The Cowboys missed the playoffs at 7-9-1, and Eberflus was out of a job again after just one season.
What the 49ers Are Getting
The Eberflus who arrives in San Francisco is not the one who struggled in Chicago or Dallas. At least, that is the hope.
Kyle Shanahan is bringing him in as assistant head coach of defense, a role that places him second on the defensive chain of command behind new coordinator Raheem Morris. The structure is notable. With both Bradley and Saleh now in Tennessee, San Francisco needed experienced voices to surround Morris as he steps into his first full year running the defense.
Pelissero noted that Shanahan will now have two former NFL head coaches overseeing his defense in 2026. Morris, who served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, holds the coordinator title, while Eberflus steps in as the assistant head coach. It is an unusual arrangement, and a high-profile one.
A Fresh Start in a Winning Environment
Landing with the 49ers matters for reasons that go beyond the job title.
San Francisco has reached the playoffs in four of the past five seasons and five of the past seven. Last season, the team went 12-5 despite dealing with significant injuries on defense. A healthier roster in 2026 could produce even better results, and being part of a contending program gives Eberflus something he has not had in a while: a legitimate backdrop to rebuild his coaching reputation.
The opportunity is real. Coordinators and assistant head coaches who perform well in winning systems tend to attract attention quickly. If the 49ers defense takes a step forward in 2026, Eberflus will have positioned himself back in the conversation for future coordinator or head coaching openings.
What Comes Next
Nothing about Eberflus’s path has been linear. His record as a head coach is hard to defend, and his one year in Dallas did little to change the narrative. But his track record in Indianapolis showed he can build and run an effective defense when the conditions are right.
San Francisco gives him those conditions. A stable franchise. A head coach who knows how to win. A defense with talent. And, perhaps most importantly, a role that lets him contribute without carrying the full weight of the program on his shoulders.
Whether Eberflus makes the most of it remains to be seen. What is clear is that he now has the chance to remind the league what he can do when everything lines up.
That opportunity does not come around forever.
