Training camp starts next week and the Dallas Cowboys have a issue that needs to be fixed or answered.
This offseason went just about as well as anyone could have hoped, but I feel like we haven’t asked this question enough, including myself. There have been nothing but positive thoughts about Christian Parker and the defense going into 2026.
I mean, how can it be any worse than the league’s worst a year ago? It can only go up from here, right?
Both on paper and on the staff, the defense is much improved from a year ago, and yes, the Cowboys went with a young defensive mind in Parker, and stayed away from a former head coach that just doesn’t have it anymore.
Cowboys counting heavily on first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker. https://t.co/vwUFzq3KCW
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) June 29, 2026
With that said, being a coach for the Dallas Cowboys comes with pressure and Parker is the youngest defensive coordinator in the history of the franchise, so although I don’t think he will, it still poses the question whether Parker could be overwhelmed by the pressure?
Honestly, in case you forgot, let me give you a recap, a little snapshot of truly how bad this defense was a season ago with Matt Eberflus.
They finished the 2025 regular season with the NFL’s 30th-ranked total defense, allowing 377 yards per game. Ranked dead LAST against the pass, and surrendered a league-high 59 touchdowns.
Total Defense: 30th (377 yards allowed per game). Passing Defense: 32nd (251.5 yards allowed per game). Rushing Defense: 23rd (125.5 yards allowed per game).
If you have ever participated in a sport, coached, or something similar, pressure happens all the time, and some people have good days, and they have bad days, it’s going to happen, but Parker has had a proven track record of being able to coach guys in the secondary and make them stars.
That is the main issue for this team heading into the season; the secondary is by far the worst unit on this team.
The defensive front went from horrible after trading Micah Parsons to pretty dang good a year later.
Not saying they are going to go from worst to first or anything like that, but with as low as the bar has been set for the defense in general, I don’t think the pressure is going to get to him, but it is a valid question to ask because we are talking about him like he is an all world DC and this is his first chance to prove that he can run a defense.
All they need to be is average. If they are average with the offense that Dallas has, they will win the NFC East and make the playoffs either way, are my thoughts. What happens when they get there? Who knows?
But my early guess is that they will be good enough on that side of the...
