Well, it didn’t take very long for a Dallas Cowboys coach to be put on the hot seat after just one game.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer had a decent first year in the role last year. The team finished 7-9-1 and missed out on the postseason.
Big changes came after the season, though, as Schottenheimer fired Matt Eberflus and hired Christian Parker as defensive coordinator. Parker might be a first-time play caller, but he is already feeling the heat.
Christian Parker is On the Hot Seat for the Dallas Cowboys in 2026
GettyDallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
CBS Sports writer Zachary Pereles is the man responsible for naming Parker to the hot seat. Pereles explains why Parker finds himself in that situation after the Cowboys beat the Seattle Seahawks 17-7 in the preseason opener.
“It may be unfair to put Christian Parker — a highly regarded defensive mind in his first year as a coordinator — here, but when you’re trying to fix any Cowboys weakness, you’re under the gun.
The Cowboys drafted two first-round defenders (S Caleb Downs and EDGE Malachi Lawrence), signed S Jalen Thompson and CB Cobie Durant, traded for EDGE Rashan Gary and LB Dee Winters and will have star DL Quinnen Williams for a full season. This defense still isn’t overflowing with talent, but it’s in a better spot after finishing 30th in yards per play allowed and 32nd in net yards per attempt allowed.
Parker, who previously coached the excellent Eagles secondary, will go a long way in determining whether this loaded offense has enough support on the other side of the ball. If Dallas is middle of the pack — or really just mediocre — defensively, it will be a playoff team. If it’s better than that, it can be a true Super Bowl contender.”
Parker has had a ton of success as the Eagles’ secondary coach. He turned second-year cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into All-Pros last year.
Is it Fair for Christian Parker to Face Pressure in 2026 After the Cowboys’ Down Year?
GettyEAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JANUARY 04: Head coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on January 04, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The New York Giants won 34-17. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
The Cowboys were one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and Parker is inheriting that. The unit ranked 30th in total defense, allowing 377 yards per game in 2025.
Dallas has added a bunch of new names to the defense that will help them out. The biggest name not mentioned earlier is Von Miller, who just joined the team.
With everything that happened to this defense last year, Parker should not be on any kind of hot seat. This is his first time calling a defense, and he has done a masterful job of constructing this unit the way he wants to.
It’s going to take some time for this defense to come together, but on paper, they are much better than they were in 2025. Parker deserves a chance to let him do his thing and get this unit back on track.
Cowboys Coach is Already on Hot Seat After One Game