‘Star’ Who Was Part of Matt LaFleur’s First Staff Could Replace Jeff Hafley

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Not long after Jeff Hafley was named head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a potential top candidate to be the next Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator emerged.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Christian Parker will interview for the vacancy.

Sources: The #Packers will interview #Eagles DBs coach and pass-game coordinator Christian Parker for their vacant DC job after Jeff Hafley took the Dolphins head-coaching position.

Parker, a rising star in the coaching ranks, flies to Dallas tomorrow to interview with the… https://t.co/QoVwwybCAB pic.twitter.com/0pX06g101R
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 20, 2026

LaFleur and Parker, a young riser in the coaching ranks, will be able to cut right to the chase.

In 2019, Parker got his first shot in the NFL by being part of LaFleur’s first coaching staff. He spent two years in Green Bay as a quality-control coach on defense under then-coordinator Mike Pettine before becoming defensive backs coach for the Broncos under then-coach Vic Fangio.

In 2024, Fangio was named defensive coordinator of the Eagles, and he brought along Parker as his defensive passing-game coordinator and defensive backs coach.

In 2023, when Parker was in Denver, Philadelphia finished 31st against the pass. In 2024, the Eagles soared to first and won the Super Bowl. This year, they finished eighth.

“He’s a guy that I hold in high regard just by the quality of work that he did when he was here with us,” LaFleur said before this year’s game against the Eagles. “Obviously, he’s gotten a lot more experience now, and I think just whenever we go against a secondary that he’s coaching, they are fundamentally sound, they challenge you.

“So, I think he’s a really good up-and-coming coach, and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he gets his opportunity to become a coordinator in this league.”

That matter of time could be soon.

It would continue a meteoric rise for the 32-year-old Parker, who has never been a coordinator at any level.

“Christian Parker is just highly respected around the league,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said n 2024. “I think to myself – I don’t know exactly how old Christian Parker is, exact age – but I don’t know if you would have asked around the league, a bunch of people, when I was 25 or 26, people would have been like ‘who’s that?’ right.

“So, to understand that he’s had this type of respect and this type of name because of this product that he’s put on the field and his coaching that he’s done is pretty impressive. Obviously, Vic had worked with him, and he’s been as advertised. I’m really excited about Christian, and I know our defensive backs are really excited about him, as well.”

He got his start in coaching as cornerbacks coach at Virginia State (2013, 2014) and Norfolk State (2015, 2016) before taking analyst jobs at Notre Dame (2017) and Texas A&M (2018).

“I love his energy,” then-Notre Dame defensive backs coach Todd Lyght once said of Parker. “I love his passion for the game. He was a really, really smart football player, great teacher.”

Parker was a backup receiver and cornerback at Richmond.

“He is a great partner to work with,” Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said in 2023. “As a veteran coach, my tape is out there, so I’m looking for ways to do different things. Speaking with Christian every day and bouncing ideas off him from what he’s done with Vic and guys in the past has been fun, making changes and growing off what they did last year. He’s smart, he works his butt off and his players love playing for him. He’s a star.”

With the Eagles, he was given a couple hot-shot rookie cornerbacks with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. With the Packers, he’d inherit mediocre cornerbacks but be gifted Micah Parsons.

“Guys can’t get comfortable — nobody’s silent — they don’t know when they’re getting cold-called on,” Parker told Tyler Dunne before the Eagles beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. “We keep the conversations rolling that way. Obviously, sometimes it’s just me talking, but I’m trying to bounce ideas off of guys to let them talk and express how they see things and how they feel about ‘em. It leads to the chemistry of the group.”

With the Packers, Parker learned by working with veteran starter Tramon Williams, who learned from Charles Woodson.

“That started when he and Charles Woodson played together in 2008,” Parker told The Athletic. “That was always his starting point every Tuesday morning to begin preparing on his own. What I learned is it’s important to talk to each guy about his daily baseline process each week and how it ramps up and changes day-to-day.

“Then, what specific things can we add based on the emphasis of each opponent? Then, in meetings, provide a form of consistency week to week on the things we definitely have to take away on a large scale with how they see us, and how we can win the game within the game as a secondary.”

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