The Dallas Cowboys hired Philadelphia Eagles Christian Parker to be their defensive coordinator on Thursday after a search led the Cowboys to request interviews for at least 10 different candidates for their opening. Both the Cowboys and the New York Jets started their defensive coordinator searches off aggressively, while other teams have moved more slowly throughout the process.
One of the more popular names on the to-be defensive coordinator market this offseason was Parker, who was also the first
reported defensive coordinator interview for Green Bay in 2026. Parker, who coached under the legendary Vic Fangio in both Denver and now Philadelphia, got his start in the NFL in 2019 on Matt LaFleur’s first staff as a quality control coach. Parker was previously interviewed by LaFleur for the team’s 2024 defensive coordinator opening, which went to Jeff Hafley, now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Parker met with the Cowboys on Wednesday and then headed straight to Green Bay. The Packers are much earlier on in their defensive coordinator search, as their job just opened on Monday. It’s possible that Parker was near the top of Green Bay’s board, but that Dallas was just ready to make a decision now, so Parker made the call.
Parker is the second defensive coordinator hired in recent days, with Brian Flores re-signing with the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday.
Without Parker, the known and remaining Packers interviewees for the job are Chicago Bears pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Al Harris, Minnesota Vikings pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones and former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. Worth remembering, though, is that Green Bay tends to keep searches quiet. When Hafley was hired, he had never even been linked to the team until the announcement that he got the job was made.
The names below are coaches who have received interview requests from other teams, but they have yet to be announced as requested interviews by Green Bay:
- Aaron Whitecotton, Dallas Cowboys, defensive line coach
- Anthony Weaver, Miami Dolphins, defensive coordinator
- Charlie Bullen, New York Giants, interim defensive coordinator
- Chris Harris, New York Jets, interim defensive coordinator
- Demarcus Covington, Green Bay Packers, run game coordinator/defensive line coach
- Dennard Wilson, Tennessee Titans, defensive coordinator
- Ephraim Banda, Cleveland Browns, safeties coach
- Jim Leonhard, Denver Broncos, assistant head coach/pass game coordinator
- Jim O’Neil, Detroit Lions, defensive assistant
- Joe Cullen, Kansas City Chiefs, defensive line coach
- Karl Scott, Seattle Seahawks, defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator
- Mathieu Araujo, Miami Dolphins, cornerbacks coach
- Patrick Graham, Las Vegas Raiders, defensive coordinator
- Wink Martindale, former Michigan defensive coordinator
- Zach Orr, Baltimore Ravens, defensive coordinator
