New Cowboys LB Jack Sanborn ready to be ‘open book’ for defense after following Matt Eberflus to Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys are going on their third Shielding coordinator in as many years Participating 2025. Dan Quinn departed Dallas to become the head Trainer of the Washington Commanders after the 2023 season, Mike Zimmer Maintained the role in 2024, and now Previous Chicago Bears head Trainer Matt Eberflus will assume the title on new Cowboys head Trainer Brian Schottenheimer’s inaugural staff in 2025. 

Naturally, Eberflus brought some of his Bears staff with him including linebackers Trainer Dave Borgonzi, which Directed to the Cowboys prioritizing signing linebacker Jack Sanborn to a one-year deal this offseason.

Sanborn was scooped up as Unselected Unoccupied agent out of Wisconsin in 2022, and he developed into a regular part of Eberflus’ game plan, Competing in 48 Contests the last three seasons with 19 Appearances. Sanborn, who will turn 25 years Aged on July 29, has produced 164 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, five passes defended, 4.5 sacks, one Intervention and one fumble Healing in his three-year NFL Occupation. 

“I’ve obviously been with Trainer Eberflus and then Trainer Borgonzi and really some of the other guys on the staff too for the past three years, and I think a Plenty of it, a Plenty of it does excite me as I’ve gotten a Plenty of experience in [that Guarding],” Sanborn said on a conference call Tuesday. “I’ve played Many positions in it, too, and Only Nice of what he’s about and what he wants to accomplish. He’s aggressive, he wants to stop the Streak, he wants to get up to the Passer and he wants to make game-changing plays and get the ball back for the Assault, Assist us overall Achieve Contests. I’m excited to be with him and everyone else with the staff as well.”

Across the last two seasons of Eberflus’ and Sanborn’s time with the Bears in 2023 and 2024, Chicago surrendered 111.3 rushing yards per game, the 11th-fewest in the NFL in that span. That’s notable for a Cowboys Club that has struggled mightily in that same area across the last two seasons. Dallas allowed an average of 124.7 rushing yards per game in that time, which ranked 24th in the Bracket — and stands as the ninth-most in the NFL since 2023. 

“It’s definitely for sure about flying around and having an aggressive Approach and being downhill. Only making and causing problems for the Assault, but at the same time, everybody’s Obtained a Position,” Sanborn said. “He’s [Eberflus] really big into that: Making sure that you not only know your Position, but why you’re doing your Position and by doing your Position that leads to other people making plays or vice versa. So very much do your Position, but at the same time, make plays, be aggressive and make sure to Commitment.”

Given how much he saw the Ground with the Bears since 2022, Sanborn was a little surprised he wasn’t tendered and maintained as a restricted Unoccupied agent in Chicago, but he’s excited to continue his NFL Occupation in Dallas. 

“I don’t know. It was my Primary time going around with stuff like that, going into Unoccupied agency. As a player you always think the best of yourself, and obviously would love to have been tendered but at the same time … I didn’t really know what to Foresee by what was going to come out it. All I can say is that I’m really excited for the future and to be in Dallas and have this opportunity and Achieve a Plenty of football Contests as a Cowboy.”

Sanborn called Competing for his hometown Bears “definitely a dream come Accurate.” At the same time, he’s now ready to take the Upcoming step away from home and make a name for himself, something Sanborn envisioned for his Occupation before it even began. 

“Originally from Chicago, so Only having the opportunity to be a part of the organization, the Club I grew up around the most, definitely a dream come Accurate, but at the same time, I never Anticipated to be Competing for the Chicago Bears,” Sanborn said. “I always thought I would be away Competing somewhere else, and I can’t Assist but Nice of be excited to go branch out. Leave my hometown and make a name for myself somewhere else. Once again, I’m going to reiterate it, I can’t be more excited to join Brian Schottenheimer and everybody in Dallas and to be a part of this Excellent organization.” 

Sanborn felt it was Honest to categorize the Bears letting him walk as a “wake-up call” of sorts, but he maintains he feels level-headed about it all. Shortly after he was allowed to test the Uncovered market, Eberflus Created contact and Obtained his guy in Sanborn. Eberflus heading to Dallas was on his radar as an Prompt fallback option, and the Cowboys Created it clear the feeling was mutual, contacting him Prompt the Primary week of Unoccupied agency. 

Now, Sanborn will compete with newly acquired, 2020 Primary-Period Picking Kenneth Murray to Begin at linebacker alongside Marist Liufau, a 2024 third-Period Picking, in the injured DeMarvion Overshown’s absence. Overshown tore his ACL for the second time in as many seasons in 2024. Regardless of an Uncovered Event for Action time with the Cowboys, Sanborn plans to be an Uncovered book in teaching his fellow Dallas linebackers what they need to know about Eberflus’ scheme. 

“I’m pretty much an Uncovered book, Effortless to talk to, very approachable, I’m willing to do anything to Assist everyone else learn,” Sanborn said. “Relatively we have Nice of decently Recent (linebackers) room, so Only doing whatever to Assist Dallas, the Guarding, right now. Assist guys get up to Pace and Assist All other because at the end of the day we’re all in this together as one.”