Christian Parker Embraces Cowboys-Eagles Rivalry After Crossing Enemy Lines

Christian Parker is making an interesting move. After spending two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, he now takes over as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys.

Parker had seen the rivalry between the two NFC East opponents from the Eagles' side and is now part of the same rivalry from the other viewpoint. According to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News, it felt a little awkward for Parker to put on the new colors.

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He quickly got over it, however, and said rivalries are a great part of the game. Parker also said rivalries are best when the two teams have something to play for.

“I think all division rivalries are a great part of the game and why you do it,” he said via Watkins. “That’s what makes it special when you have those rivalries. That usually means you’re playing for something. You don’t have rivalries if you’re a bad team. You have rivalries when you have significant opponents and you know those games are high-leverage situations. That’s when the best players show up.”

Leaving for a rival is not uncommon

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn speaks to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Kavontae Turpin. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

It might feel like treachery to a fan base, but it's not uncommon for teams to poach talent from a rival. It happened to Dallas in 2024 when the Washington Commanders hired their defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, to be their new head coach.

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The biggest coaching hire in 2025 was also one rival leaving for another, with Ben Johnson going from the Detroit Lions to the Chicago Bears. This year, Mike LaFleur went from the Los Angeles Rams to the Arizona Cardinals.

It makes sense for teams to grow interested in coaches within their division, since they play one another twice per season. That leads to extended film review of their work, and in the case of Parker, the Cowboys truly liked what they saw. Because of that, he's now on the right side of the rivalry.

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