The Dallas Cowboys’ uneven start continued in Week 5, when they fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and dropped to 2-3 through five games.
Much of the scrutiny has centered on Dallas’ defense, which has struggled to find consistency during the team’s early-season stretch. Against that backdrop, the Cowboys reportedly held a players-only meeting.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach and current NBC Sports NFL analyst Mike Tomlin offered his perspective on what a players-only meeting can signal about a team’s state of affairs.
“I think you’re dead,” Tomlin told ESPN’s Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, during the latest episode of the brothers’ “New Heights” podcast.
Tomlin later clarified that his concern was less about whether a players-only meeting had occurred than about the fact that it became a subject of public discussions. “If it did occur, I’d like to not hear about it,” Tomlin said. “The fact that you hear about it is what makes it BS.”
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Jason Kelce’s visible support for the Philadelphia Eagles during broadcasts has drawn attention since he retired from the only team he played for and moved into broadcasting. Travis Kelce then asked whether Tomlin had faced criticism for speaking fondly of the Steelers during “Football Night in America” broadcasts.
“To be honest with ya, I don’t care if I do,” Tomlin said. “How can you be somewhere 19 years, man, and had really a personal stake in most of the guys being there and not care for ’em? Not root for ’em? Not be for ’em? I’m not gonna pretend that I’m not. I can’t do that. Certainly, I got a job to do, and I’m gonna do it. But everybody knows where my heart is and where my support is, and I’m not apologizing for that.”
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Matt Eberflus served as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator last season under head coach Brian Schottenheimer. He joined the San Francisco 49ers as assistant head coach/defense for 2026, with Dallas turning to Christian Parker to lead the defense.
The Cowboys have shown modest improvement under Parker in some areas, but they still rank near the bottom of the NFL in yards allowed per game through five weeks.
Shortly after last Thursday’s 24-16 loss to the Bucs, Schottenheimer began making changes to a Dallas defense that has largely struggled thus far. One of those changes included adding a familiar face to the coaching staff.
Mike Pettine will join the Cowboys as senior defensive assistant. Pettine has also worked with Parker in the past.
The Cowboys will travel to historic Lambeau Field on Sunday night for a Week 6 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.