Eagles' Christian Parker Set To Become Cowboys New DC

PHILADELPHIA - The Dallas Cowboys are taking a bite out of the Eagles' defensive coaching staff and are expected to hire secondary coach Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator.

Parker, 34, interviewed with the Cowboys at "The Star" in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday and made a very strong impression to the brass in Dallas, according to an NFL source.

The Green Bay Packers also had a strong interest in Parker for their vacant DC job and that could have sped up the process for the Cowboys.

Parker started his NFL coaching career in Green Bay as a quality control coach in 2019 and 2020 in what were Matt LaFleur's first two seasons as the head coach with the Packers so there was a familiarity level on both ends.

The Packers also previously interviewed Parker for their DC position in 2024 before hiring now Miami head coach Jeff Hafley, who had been the head coach at Boston College.

Rising Star

Eagles secondary coach Christian Parker chats up DeVonta Smith at practice. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

A new Jersey native, Parker, who also served as Philadelphia's defensive passing game coordinator, arrived in Philadelphia for the 2024 season with DC Vic Fangio, who first hired Parker as the secondary coach in Denver in 2021 when Fangio was the head coach there.

In his two years with the Eagles, Parker has helped develop outside cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and slot corner Cooper DeJean into All-Pros. Before Mitchell and DeJean, Philadelphia had not had an All-Pro CB since Lito Sheppard in 2004.

"I could say a lot of things about him,” DeJean said at last week when asked about Parker. “What he's meant to me and Q, too. We've had a routine of me and Q go meet with him. two or three times a week just to go over the team we're playing, talk about different looks. And I don't think I'd be the player I am or I'd have the success that I've had without him.

“He's poured a lot into me and Q too, ever since we got here. And I appreciate him for that. And not everybody notices him and he doesn't get the recognition that I think he should. Him and coach (Joe) Kasper, what those guys mean to us in the DB room and how they coach, the intensity they bring, the passion they have for the game. It means a lot to us and doesn't go unnoticed."

A strong communicator, Parker would also often take time to work with receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in an effort to give them the defensive view of what might be coming during a particular week.

While the Eagles could look outside the building for Parker's replacement, Kasper, who was with Fangio in Miami before returning to Philadelphia in 2024 would be the top in-house candidate to replace Parker as defensive backs coach, according to team sources.

Philadelphia also has cornerbacks coach Roy Anderson on staff.

With Parker running the secondary, the Eagles have had one of the best performing secondaries in the NFL over the past two seasons, ranking No. 8 in pass defense during the 2025 campaign after being No. 1 in 2024 when the team went on to win Super Bowl LIX.

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