...
By Richie Whitt
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Tom Landry. Herschel Walker. Bill Parcells. Donovan McNabb. Terrell Owens. Dan Quinn.
And now, joining the rare list of NFL personnel to make a jump within the NFC East is Christian Parker.
In a rare intra-division move, the Dallas Cowboys are poaching an assistant coach off the staff of an NFC East rival. According to multiple reports on Thursday afternoon, they have agreed to a contract to hire Parker from the Philadelphia Eagles to be their new defensive coordinator.
Read More on NFL
The Cowboys, who this season had the worst defense in franchise history and gave up an NFL-worst 30.1 points per game, initially interviewed nine candidates to replace the fired Matt Eberflus. Parker, 34, spent the last two seasons as the Eagles' secondary coach. He won a ring with Philadelphia in last season's Super Bowl LIX.
He also worked for legendary defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on the Denver Broncos' staff in 2021. He broke into the NFL as a quality control coach with the Green Bay Packers in 2019 under Matt LaFleur.
Parker is credited with helping develop the likes of Eagles' Pro Bowl cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and Broncos' All-Pro Patrick Surtain.
MORE: Cowboys Interviewing Defensive Coordinator Candidate From Rival Eagles
...
MORE: DeMarcus Lawrence is Latest Star Eyeing Super Bowl After Leaving Cowboys
The Cowboys' search, which was led by head coach Brian Schottenheimer, also included in-person interviews with Minnesota Vikings' assistant Daronte Jones and former Arizona Cardinals' head coach Jonathan Gannon.
The Cowboys haven't had a Top 10 defense since Dan Quinn left to be head coach of the Washington Commanders after the 2023 season. Mike Zimmer in 2024 and Eberflus this season oversaw units that ranked in the bottom five of every major defensive statistical category.
The Cowboys have two first-round picks in the April's NFL Draft and most experts project them to select defensive players. Other than Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, they have questions at every position on the defense.
Dallas had one of the best defensive players in the NFL in Micah Parsons, but couldn't come to terms on a contract extension last summer and wound up trading him to the Packers in August.
Landry became the Cowboys' first head coach in 1960 after a stint as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. Walker played for both the Cowboys, Eagles and New York Giants. Parcells coach the Giants and Cowboys. McNabb played for both the Eagles and Commanders; Owens the Eagles and Cowboys. Quinn left the Cowboys for Washington.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines