Jerry Jones Rips Cowboys' Defense Last Season, 'No Place to Go But Up' After Trades, Free Agency

Jerry Jones recently called out the 2025 Dallas Cowboys' defense as the reason his team fell short of the playoffs last winter.

"I'll tell you, when you have the challenges we had last year, there's no place to go but up on the defensive side of the ball," the Cowboys owner and general manager said around the 0:55 mark of his Sunday media availability at the Grand Prix of Arlington.

Jones continued, "Had we played a lick of defense last year, we'd have had ourselves, I think, a real playoff run."

The Cowboys fired former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus in February after just one season in the position, during which his unit ranked 30th in yards allowed per game (377) and 32nd in points allowed per game (30.1).

The Cowboys' offense meanwhile ranked second in yards per game (391.9) and seventh in points per game (27.7).

Dallas has since made multiple changes to the defense in free agency, sending out defensive tackles Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas and safety Juanyeh Thomas while trading for edge rusher Rashan Gary as well as signing safety Jalen Thomson and center Cobie Durant.

Those players will join multiple trade additions from last season, including defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark.

The Cowboys are also planning to move from a 4-3 structure to a 3-4 base under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, per DallasCowboys.com's Mickey Spagnola.

The franchise could additionally decide to draft some more defensive help. Bleacher Report's latest mock draft projects the Cowboys using the No. 12 pick in the 2026 draft to select edge rusher T.J. Parker out of Clemson.

Jones will hope these offseason changes, in addition to another strong season from quarterback Dak Prescott, will be enough to help the Cowboys bounce back from a 7-9-1 finish to the 2025 campaign.