January 22, 2026
The Eagles appear to be losing an underlying, though key, piece of their defensive coaching staff, and to a major promotion from their biggest rival.
Christian Parker, the Eagles' defensive backs coach for the past two seasons, is closing in on becoming the new defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, as the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday.
The Cowboys are working to hire Christian Parker as their defensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 22, 2026
Just 34 years old, Parker spent the past two seasons as passing game coordinator/DBs coach under Vic Fangio with the Eagles. Now gets his first DC job in the NFC East. pic.twitter.com/boxhtCnEvk
If everything proceeds, Parker wouldn't have been in Philadelphia long, yet would be leaving with an impressive run regardless.
Obviously, he has last year's Super Bowl to his name, but key to that run was the rapid development of then-rookie corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into starting roles, along with maintained dependability from veteran Darius Slay at the other outside corner and a more experienced safety duo between Reed Blankenship and former Eagle C.J. Gardner-Johnson overtop.
That all formed under Parker's watch, became crucial to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme, and carried over into 2025 as Mitchell and DeJean broke out into All-Pros, along with scattered flashes from rookie safety Andrew Mukuba.
Parker, just 34 years old, was first hired by Fangio ahead of his last season as the head coach in Denver to be the Broncos' defensive backs coach in 2021, then eventually followed him to Philadelphia a few years later to win a title and hold continued expectations of winning more.
But now Parker will be leaving to take his own shot at running an entire defense, and one that will be tasked with trying to stop the Eagles twice a year.
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