The Dallas Cowboys are close to an agreement to hire Philadelphia passing game coordinator Christian Parker as their defensive coordinator, two people with knowledge of the plan said Thursday.
Parker interviewed in person on Wednesday. The sides were finalizing the contract a day later, the people told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal wasn't official.
The 34-year-old Parker just finished his second season in his current role with the Eagles, who were NFC East champions both times and won the Super Bowl last season. Philadelphia is the first repeat winner in the division in 21 years.
The Eagles were among the NFL's best overall and against the pass on defense the past two seasons, including leading the league in pass defense in 2024.
Parker's arrival in Philadelphia coincided with that of cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who both made All-Pro in just their second seasons. Mitchell was a 2024 first-round pick, and DeJean went in the second round.
“Mannnn,” DeJean wrote on X with a sullen-faced emoji. “They got a great one — wouldn't be the player I am without CP.”
Parker worked under longtime defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and now will be the first to have that job in Dallas without head coaching experience since Monte Kiffin 13 years ago. The Cowboys had five consecutive defensive coordinators who previously had been head coaches.
Dallas fired Matt Eberflus after just one season as defensive coordinator. Eberflus was less than a year removed from getting fired midseason as coach of the Chicago Bears.
The Cowboys gave up 500 points (511) for the first time in franchise history and finished at or near the bottom in points allowed, total yards and passing yards allowed and takeaways. Dallas (7-9-1) missed the postseason for the second consecutive year since Dan Quinn was in charge of the defense on three straight 12-win playoff teams.
The Dallas defense was marred by blown assignments in the secondary and poor tackling, and the Cowboys wasted one of quarterback Dak Prescott's best seasons. Dallas missed the playoffs with a healthy Prescott for the first time since 2019.
Parker also was with Fangio at Denver in 2021, when he was the defensive backs coach. He stayed in that role two more years before joining Fangio in Philadelphia.
Parker played at Richmond and started his coaching career in the college ranks, including a year apiece as a defensive analyst at Texas A&M and Notre Dame. His first NFL job was with Green Bay in 2019.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
You're invited to our Sale Like a Celebrity event, hosted by Expedia Cruises. Join us at Rou… Read moreCelebrity Cruises Special Event
Join us for community fun! Free antique and collectible appraisals by Clars Auction. Over 30… Read moreMillbrae Senior Showcase
Kick off 2026 with movement, confidence, and FUN! Join us for our Last Chance to Dance Studi… Read moreLast Chance to Dance Open House- Free Dance Demos, Food, Face Painting & More!
Join the Belmont Parks and Recreation Department as we host our annual Sweetheart Dance for … Read moreSweetheart Dance
Dirk van Ulden said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.