Heading into the 2026 offseason, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys were widely expected to overhaul the defensive coaching staff, especially after the unit ranked among the league’s worst in 2025. To their credit, those changes have already begun. Nearly half a dozen moves have been made, highlighted by the hiring of defensive coordinator Christian Parker. And now, Dallas has added another intriguing piece to the defensive staff.

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Cowboys are hiring Los Angeles Chargers defensive quality control coach Robert Muschamp. Muschamp, who is the nephew of longtime college coach Will Muschamp, has held the same role with the Chargers for the past three seasons. With the 2025 campaign now in the rearview mirror, he’s making the move to Dallas.

In Los Angeles, Muschamp worked closely with the defensive backs while also helping prepare the scout team each week. He joined the Chargers after spending two seasons at the University of Georgia, where he played a role in the Bulldogs’ back-to-back College Football Playoff National Championships as a defensive quality control coach.

During Muschamp’s tenure in L.A., the Chargers’ defense consistently ranked among the league’s better units. In 2023, he worked with the outside linebackers, contributing to a standout season that saw Khalil Mack earn the eighth Pro Bowl selection of his career. That year, Mack also set a single-season franchise record with a career-best 16.0 sacks.

Fast forward to the 2024 season, and the Chargers reached another level defensively. The unit finished as the No. 1 defense in the league in points allowed, giving up just 301 total points, or 17.7 per game. They also ranked 11th in total yards allowed, surrendering 324.3 yards per game. While there was a slight dip in 2025, the defense still finished inside the top ten in both major categories.

The Chargers closed the 2025 season ranked ninth in points allowed, giving up 340 points (20.0 per game). Yardage-wise, the Chargers actually improved, finishing fifth in the league by allowing just 285.2 yards per game. Now, Muschamp is heading to a Dallas defense that finished on the opposite end of the spectrum.

The Cowboys finished the 2025 season dead last in points allowed, surrendering 511 points (30.1 per game). They also ranked 30th in total yards allowed, giving up 377 yards per contest. While the struggles were undeniable, Jerry Jones appears committed to reshaping the defensive staff from the ground up.

Whether those changes translate into results will be answered in 2026. For now, though, at least one former Cowboys player isn’t sold on the direction, particularly given just how deep the defensive issues ran in the first place.

Emmitt Smith called out Jerry Jones’ decision to let go of Al Harris

Desperate to spark real change, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys moved on from Matt Eberflus and handed the defensive coordinator role to Christian Parker. Still, Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith believes the franchise’s defensive problems go back even further. In his view, Dallas never should have let Al Harris walk ahead of the 2025 season.

“I thought we should have kept Al Harris in the first place and never let Al Harris go,” Smith told USA Today Sports. “That’s a big mistake on the Dallas Cowboys. Bringing in some of these so-called gurus on the defensive side and the offensive side. Even though [Brian Schottenheimer] has turned out to be who Schotty really is, we need a guy that’s defensive-minded, really good at connecting with the players and motivating the players. I think Al Harris was that guy for us.”

Smith’s criticism isn’t coming out of thin air. When Harris served as the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach, Dallas consistently ranked among the league’s best at creating turnovers. For context:

• 2020: Ranked 9th with 23 takeaways
• 2021: Ranked 1st with 34 takeaways
• 2022: Ranked 1st with 32 takeaways
• 2023: Ranked 13th with 22 takeaways
• 2024: Ranked 12th with 22 takeaways

Fast forward to the 2025 season without Harris, and Dallas fell off a cliff in that area. The unit finished among the league’s worst with just 12 takeaways. Meanwhile, Harris landed with the Chicago Bears and helped guide a defense that finished among the NFL leaders in forced turnovers, totaling 33, with interceptions doing most of the damage at 23.

So when Smith calls out the Cowboys for letting Harris go, he isn’t exaggerating. With the 2025 season now in the rearview mirror, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are once again trying to reset, hoping these changes finally address the issues that have kept them out of the playoffs.