The Cowboys have their man in Christian Parker.
The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a deal to make Christian Parker their defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN on Thursday.
Parker, 34, has spent the past two seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles‘ passing game coordinator and secondary coach. He has worked under Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio since 2021 when they were with the Denver Broncos.
He helped develop Eagles cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into Pro Bowlers in their second seasons while also getting productivity from veterans like Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship. DeJean was effusive in his praise of Parker on X, writing “wouldn’t be the player I am without Coach CP.”
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he was looking for a good teacher and communicator as their defensive coordinator and interviewed nine candidates. At the season-ending news conference, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said previous head coaching experience would not be a prerequisite.
More on the Cowboys new hire at defensive coordinator.
Super Bowl champs
After an impressive three seasons with the Broncos’ defense in which he helped develop Patrick Surtain II from a rookie top-10 pick into an All-Pro cornerback, Parker was on the move again. This time he signed on with Cowboys’ NFC East rival Philadelphia, the Eagles hiring Parker as their DBs coach and passing game coordinator to work directly underneath defensive guru Vic Fangio. Parker had worked with Fangio in Denver as well.
With the help of Parker, Fangio and a dynamic All-Pro duo at corner in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the Eagles won the franchise’s second Super Bowl last season. Parker was seen as a “secret weapon” of sorts in the Eagles’ defensive room.
“He’s one of those coaches that gets his players,” Eagles’ safety Reed Blankenship said last season. “Yeah, he’s a little young, but I’d much rather have a young coach like that because he understands us. And there’s no barrier between us or him. We’re going with the flow. Communicates all the time. Comes to the sideline — something happens — and we’re always talking.”
Eagles aren’t happy
So it only makes sense that the Eagles seem a little bummed upon Parker’s hiring by their division rival Dallas.
“Mannnn, they got a great one,” DeJean posted on social media after news of Parker’s hiring was announced, along with a sadface and a salute. “Wouldn’t be the player I am without Coach CP.”
The question of keeping defensive assistants just got real with the hire of Christian Parker.
Is the new defensive coordinator going to have a new defensive line coach and other coaches on that side of the ball? Or is it just going to be all the same coaches who were here? Do you think it‘s best to keep the assistants in order to maintain some consistency, or start fresh with new voices after such a tough season? – Charles Reynolds/Staten Island, NY
Tommy: It depends on a lot of things. Obviously, every coordinator is going to want to bring their picks for position coaches with them to any job so they can give themselves the best chance to succeed and get coaches who know what they’re looking for around the entire defensive scheme. That’s not to say you can’t do it with a mixture of new faces and carryovers from the previous staff, which I believe will be the case in this instance.
With so much turnover around the league, more than we’ve seen in quite a while, it could open the door to more assistants becoming available when they maybe weren’t expected to become freed up. Still, contracts matter, and assistants can’t make lateral moves without the permission of their current employer.
Here’s a rundown of the top potential free agents who could now be in the mix in Dallas, tiered by their 2025 Pro Football Focus overall defensive grades.Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
CB Ja’Quan McMillian (RFA), Denver, 2022-23, 80.3 grade in 2025
McMillian is a former UDFA who has been a staple in the Denver secondary. They will most likely slap him with a 1st round or 2nd round tender, taking him off the market.
Safety Avonte Maddox, Detroit, 2024, 79.1 grade in 2025
Maddox had an incredible single season in Detroit, but didn’t fare as well in Philly. He had a 61.9 overall grade in his one season working with Parker.
Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, Philadelphia, 2024, 51.4 grade in 2025
Not a great year for Gardner-Johnson in Chicago, but he did have a 77.0 grade w/ Parker in 2024.
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