Packers To Interview Christian Parker For DC Job
With Jeff Hafley heading to Miami, the Packers are now in need of a new defensive coordinator. We’ve now got our first candidate for the opening. According to Jordan Schultz, the Packers will interview Eagles DBs coach and pass-game coordinator Christian Parker for the job.
[RELATED: Dolphins Hire Jeff Hafley As Head Coach]
This would be a bit of a homecoming for Parker, who started his NFL coaching career in Green Bay. Following a two-year stint as a Packers defensive quality control coach, Parker moved to the Eagles to serve as their defensive backs coach in 2021. He spent three years in that role before earning the added responsibility of passing game coordinator in 2024.
Most recently, Parker has been credited with the development of cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. Both of the 2024 draft picks have emerged as key starters in Philly, and the duo both earned spots in the top-10 of Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings this season. Parker was also part of Vic Fangio‘s defensive staff that ranked No. 1 against the pass during their Super Bowl-winning 2024 campaign. While the defense took a slight step back in 2025 (finishing eighth overall), that didn’t do much to hurt Parker’s coordinator candidacy.
The 34-year-old has emerged as a name to watch during each of the past two hiring cycles. He interviewed for the Saints gig last offseason, and he’s expected to garner a second interview with the Cowboys this year.
If he ends up earning the Packers job, he’ll be tasked with turning around a defense that slightly disappointed this past year. The Packers ranked top 10 in points (sixth) and yards (fifth) in 2024, but the unit was less successful in 2025 (11th scoring and 12th in total defense). Part of that was due to Micah Parsons‘ season-ending injury, and Hafley’s popularity in this year’s coaching carousel proved that Green Bay’s defensive approach was still highly regarded.
Eagles To Interview Josh Grizzard For OC Job
Recently-fired Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard may not be on the market for long.
The Eagles are set to interview the 35-year-old for the same position in Philadelphia. He would replace Kevin Patullo, who was removed after the team’s wild card loss to the 49ers.
Grizzard came up in Miami under three different head coaches. He was first hired by Adam Gase as an offensive quality control coach in 2017. He was moved to a non-specific quality control role by Brian Flores in 2019 before a two-year stint leading the wide receiver room. Jaylen Waddle put up a then-record-setting rookie season under Grizzard in 2021, but he moved back to quality control in 2022 when Mike McDaniel brought in Wes Welker to coach the Dolphins’ WRs.
With little room to grow in Miami, Grizzard took the Buccaneers’ passing game coordinator job in 2024 under new offensive coordinator Liam Coen. The two quickly put together one of the best passing offenses in the NFL, earning them both promotions – Coen as the Jaguars’ head coach, and Grizzard as his replacement in Tampa Bay.
Coens’ 2025 season went as planned in Jacksonville, but Grizzard’s did not. His offense dealt with injuries to several key players, including but not limited to offensive linemen Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, and Cody Mauch; wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans; and running back Bucky Irving. Quarterback Baker Mayfield also played through multiple injuries.
But even when the unit was healthier, they were not playing up to their potential. The offense’s late-season struggles were a major reason they missed the playoffs, too. In their last six games, all facing defenses who were average at best, the Buccaneers only cleared 20 points once. They lost four of their six matchup and failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time in six years.
The Eagles may have reason to believe that Grizzard could succeed with a healthier roster in Philadelphia. The team arguably needs an infusion of offensive coaching from a coach that is not connected to the Eagles’ current tree. But he is still relatively inexperienced, which may not be the best fit for a team looking to quickly get back to Super Bowl contention.
Eagles Request OC Interview With Bobby Slowik
The Eagles have added Dolphins senior passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik to their list of offensive coordinator candidates, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Slowik, 38, arrived in Miami last offseason after a two-year stint as the Texans’ offensive coordinator. He led rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and Houston’s offense to their best finish in years in 2023, but the unit took a clear step back in 2024. However, the team’s continued offensive struggles under Nick Caley this season indicate that Slowik may not have been the primary problem.
The rest of Slowik’s resume is comprised of four years as an offensive assistant on Kyle Shanahan‘s staff in San Francisco, along with this past season in Miami. The 49ers’ passing game largely thrived while Slowik was its architect in 2021 and 2022, though he could not help Mike McDaniel revitalize the Dolphins’ air attack in 2025. If the Eagles are looking to branch out from Nick Sirianni’s coaching tree, Slowik could be an option to infuse some new concepts into Phily’s offense.
Slowik’s current competition for the Eagles’ offensive coordinator job includes several top offensive coaches, including McDaniel, Jim Bob Cooter, Zach Robinson, Kliff Kingsbury, Brian Daboll, and Mike Kafka.
Eagles To Retain ST Coordinator Michael Clay
The Eagles will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026. They will maintain a high level of continuity on the sidelines with respect to special teams, however. 
Michael Clay has agreed to terms on a new deal with Philadelphia, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. This ensures Clay will remain in the fold for at least a sixth campaign with the team. He most recently landed an extension early in the 2024 offseason.
There was interest around the league in Clay’s case, per the report. Indeed, the Buccaneers interviewed him for their own ST coordinator opening last week. Instead of departing upon seeing his contract expire next month, Clay has elected once again to stay in Philadelphia. The 34-year-old has spent much of his coaching career with the Eagles.
A former undrafted free agent, Clay quickly turned his attention to coaching after the end of his playing days. He started out with the Eagles in 2014 and held a number of roles during his first stint with the team. Clay then spent five years in San Francisco, most of which was spent as an assistant special teams coach. He returned to Philadelphia in 2021, receiving the opportunity to serve as a ST coordinator at an unusually young age.
Clay has enjoyed a great deal of success in that role, as illustrated by the Eagles’ willingness to retain him on multiple occasions over the years. Philadelphia’s search for former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is ongoing. At least one prominent new voice will be present in the team’s coaching staff for next season, but Clay will still be in place.
Eagles To Give Brian Daboll “Extended Look” For OC Job; Team To Interview Mike McDaniel
11:00am: ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms an Eagles-Daboll interview is expected.
08:34am: Brian Daboll lost his head coaching position with the Giants in the middle of the 2025 season, but as expected, he is still generating significant attention from clubs in need of an offensive coordinator (he also landed an HC interview with the Titans). The Eagles are one of the teams interested in Daboll’s services as an OC, and Philadelphia will give him an “extended look,” per Connor Hughes of SNY.tv.
Despite their bounty of talent on the offensive side of the ball, the recently-demoted Kevin Patullo was unable to guide the Eagles to the same success as his predecessor, Kellen Moore. After helping Philly to a Super Bowl title in 2024, Moore accepted the Saints’ head coaching job last year, and Patullo’s performance in his first and only season in the OC role was heavily criticized. Towards the end of the ‘25 slate, head coach Nick Sirianni felt compelled to become more involved in his team’s offense.
That did not bode well for Patullo, and after the Eagles were dispatched from the playoffs by a short-handed 49ers outfit in the wildcard round, the writing was on the wall. It is unclear if Patullo will remain with the organization, but if he does, it will not be as OC.
Daboll, 50, earned his shot at the Giants’ HC gig by virtue of his success as the Bills’ offensive coordinator, and his OC aptitude remains well-regarded in league circles. He also has familiarity with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver DeVonta Smith from their time together at Alabama – where Daboll worked as OC and QB coach in 2017 – and he coached running back Saquon Barkley for two seasons in New York.
As of the time of this writing, only the Chargers have secured a publicly-reported OC interview with Daboll. The Eagles’ vacancy appears to be a tempting one, though, and unless Los Angeles makes him a pitch he can’t refuse, it would be fair to expect Daboll to sit down with Philadelphia brass.
The club did land an interview with Mike Kafka, who worked under Daboll as the Giants’ offensive coordinator and then replaced his former boss as Big Blue’s interim head coach in 2025. Hughes suggests the Eagles are high on Kafka as well, and they are taking a few other big swings.
Former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel, one of the most-coveted coaches on the market, is expected to interview with the Eagles for their OC post, as ESPN’s Jeff Darlington notes (previously, we knew only that Philadelphia was interested in talking with McDaniel). The club will have competition for his services, however.
McDaniel’s Miami tenure ended on a sour note, but the first half of his stint produced excellent results as he helped unlock quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s potential. That has buoyed his stock as a highly-respected offensive mind, and he has drawn head coaching interest from five teams (the Browns, Falcons, Raiders, Ravens, and Titans) and OC interest from four others (the Bucs, Chargers, Eagles, and Lions; Baltimore is also considering McDaniel for its OC position).
The Falcons have already hired Kevin Stefanski as their next head coach, and the Browns’, Titans’, and Raiders’ HC openings are generally not considered to be as enticing as the Atlanta or Baltimore jobs. On the other hand, the teams that are interested in McDaniel as an OC boast considerable offensive talent, and McDaniel acknowledges he is intrigued by those jobs (via Darlington).
Jim Bob Cooter, Zac Robinson, and Kliff Kingsbury are among the other names on the Eagles’ radar.
Eagles Interview Mike Kafka For OC Job, Request Interview With Jim Bob Cooter
The Eagles have two more candidates to succeed Kevin Patullo as their offensive coordinator: Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka and Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.
Kafka interviewed for the job on Saturday, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He has also received OC interest from the Lions and the Buccaneer, in addition to an earlier interview for the permanent head coaching gig in New York that will go to John Harbaugh. Harbaugh is expected to bring in his own staff, so Kafka will not continue as the Giants’ OC, either.
Though Kafka is better known for his coaching stints with the Chiefs and the Giants, he began his NFL career as an Eagles fourth-round pick in 2010. He appeared in four games in 2011, his only regular-season action in his six years in the league. He retired from playing in 2015, spent a year as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Northwestern, before joining Andy Reid‘s staff in Kansas City. He played a crucial role in developing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing game in general, which helped him secure the OC job under Brian Daboll in New York. The Eagles may be interested in that expertise to revitalize an air attack that sputtered out at the end of the seasons.
The Eagles also requested an interview with Cooter, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He has a more recent connection to Philadelphia. He served as a consultant on Nick Sirianni‘s staff in 2021, when he first worked under then-Eagles OC and now-Colts head coach Shane Steichen. After a year as the Jaguars’ passing game coordinator under Doug Pederson, Cooter took his current job in Indianapolis. The Eagles’ OC job would appear to be a lateral move, but Cooter would have his first play-calling opportunity since his three-year stint as the Lions’ offensive coordinator from 2016 to 2018. Teams hiring head coaches are increasingly looking for proven play-callers, making it more difficult to vault from a non-play-calling OC position directly into a top job.
Cowboys Scheduling Second Interviews With Defensive Coordinator Candidates
Almost two weeks since they fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the Cowboys are getting closer to hiring his replacement, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports. The Cowboys are setting up second interviews with the top contenders for the position.
Vikings pass game coordinator Daronte Jones will be in Dallas to meet team brass today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. Former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has scheduled a Jan. 20 in-person visit with the Cowboys, per Anderson. While Eagles pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Christian Parker hasn’t booked an in-person sitdown yet, that’s expected to take place, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN relays.
Broncos assistant head coach and pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard was part of the Cowboys’ first round of interviews, but it’s unclear if they’ll meet with him in person. He’s ineligible for now, Archer notes. The Broncos would have to lose in the divisional round or AFC title game first. Otherwise, a Leonhard meeting would have to wait until the bye week before the Super Bowl.
Hiring Gannon, who’s on the market after winning just 15 of 51 games in Arizona, would continue the Cowboys’ recent trend of choosing ex-NFL head coaches to run their defense. Dating back to 2014, Rod Marinelli, Mike Nolan, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer and Eberflus have held the job for various periods.
Nolan, Zimmer and Eberflus lasted just one year apiece in Dallas. The Cowboys would surely prefer more stability in the post, whether they choose Gannon or one of the other candidates.
Gannon’s also in the running to join Quinn’s staff as the Commanders’ next defensive coordinator, while the Titans will interview him for their head coaching position on Sunday. If the 43-year-old ends up in Dallas or Washington, it would give him a second chance as an NFL defensive coordinator and a return to the NFC East. He led the Eagles’ defense from 2021-22, and the unit’s elite performance helped the team win the NFC in the second of those seasons. Gannon left for Arizona after a Super Bowl LVII loss to Kansas City.
Either Jones or Parker would be a first-time professional D-coordinator in Dallas, though the former was in charge of LSU’s defense in 2021. Jones has spent the past three seasons under Vikings DC Brian Flores, whose contract expired earlier this week. The Vikings aim to re-sign Flores, but if he departs (perhaps for a head coaching job), Jones has come up as a potential successor. Jones is also on the Jets’ radar, having already interviewed for their DC role.
Parker, 34, began his pro coaching career as a defensive quality control assistant with the Packers in 2019. He spent two seasons in Green Bay before coaching Denver’s defensive backs from 2021-23. Parker just wrapped up his second year on Vic Fangio‘s defensive staff with the Eagles, who ranked No. 1 against the pass during a Super Bowl-winning 2024 campaign. The eliminated Eagles didn’t enjoy the same success in 2025, but their pass defense still ranked eighth overall. It’s now possible they’ll lose Parker to a familiar foe.
Regardless of which candidate takes over as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, owner Jerry Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer will expect far better results in 2026. The Cowboys’ offense was among the game’s best in 2025, but a poor defensive performance doomed the team to a 7-9-1 record. Eberflus’ group allowed the most points in the league and the third-most yards.
Eagles Arrange Zac Robinson OC Interview
Zac Robinson drew extensive OC interest during the 2024 hiring period, but the Falcons are overhauling their football operation after firing Raheem Morris. Robinson is likely headed elsewhere, and he remains an interesting candidate.
After Buccaneers and Lions meetings, Robinson is set to speak with the Eagles about their OC vacancy, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Robinson will meet with Philadelphia today.
The Eagles have been connected to four former HCs for this job — Mike McDaniel, Kliff Kingsbury, Brian Daboll, Kevin Stefanski — but it is unclear if any will interview. Philly has also been mentioned as doing work on new LSU OC Charlie Weis Jr. Robinson, however, marks the first known meeting for this job.
Although Nick Sirianni is an offense-oriented coach, he has not called plays in Philly since midway through the 2021 season. The Eagles are planning to keep this setup, giving their OC hire autonomy over a talented offense — albeit one that has been known for odd-year underachievement. The Eagles fired (or perhaps demoted) Kevin Patullo this week, doing so two years after ousting Brian Johnson following his first season in the role.
Tasked with preparing Kirk Cousins to take over in 2024 while developing an entirely different passer in Michael Penix Jr., Robinson was seen as a firing candidate had Morris retained the Atlanta HC position. The Falcons ranked 24th offensively this season, one that featured Penix struggles before a season-ending injury. Though, Robinson coaxed a quality contract year from Kyle Pitts and had Bijan Robinson over 2,000 scrimmage yards — an NFL-leading 2,298 — for the first time. It would not appear Robinson will be asked back in Atlanta, but it also seems like there is enough early interest to allow for a second-chance OC post — rather than dropping back to a position coaching role.
Robinson, 39, also carries additional appeal from his background on Sean McVay‘s staff. Robinson spent five years on the Rams’ staff before following Morris to Atlanta. The Eagles have not used any ex-McVay or Kyle Shanahan staffers in their OC role just yet. Looking for their fifth OC in five years, the Eagles must interview at least one external minority candidate to comply with the Rooney Rule.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/15/26
Today’s reserve/futures contracts:
Los Angeles Rams
- OL Wyatt Bowles, WR Mario Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- LB Jose Ramirez
Pittsburgh Steelers
- OL Doug Nester, WR Brandon Smith
Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean Want To Stay With Eagles
The Eagles’ 2025 season is over, but two of their pending free agents have no desire to leave Philadelphia.
Outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips said (via PHLY Sports’ EJ Smith) that he would prefer to re-sign with the Eagles, though he indicated he would test out free agency. The 26-year-old arrived in Philadelphia at the trade deadline but contributed only two sacks and four tackles for loss in his eight regular-season appearances despite a 78% snap share.
Phillips’ desire to play for a competitive team will likely keep the Eagles high on his list of potential destinations, but the team may not be able to offer him a market-level contract. Phillips’ age and first-round pedigree should attract him plenty of interest in free agency, but his injury history may be cause for concern.
General manager Howie Roseman is known for his aggressive spending, but he has been willing to let talented (but perhaps not elite) players walk in free agency. Last offseason, for example, Josh Sweat and Milton Williams both found new teams as Roseman was not willing to pony up for a pricey contract for either pass rusher. The Eagles need depth at edge rusher with only Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt under contract in 2026, but they have other positions to address, too.
For the same reason, linebacker Nakobe Dean may not get his wish to stay in Philly, either. He met with Roseman after the season ended, per 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks, but did not get an indication about the team’s plans. And unlike the Eagles’ edge rusher room, their linebacking corps has plenty of talent. The team signed Zack Baun to a three-year, $51MM contract last offseason and spent a first-round pick on Jihaad Campbell. They also have Jeremiah Trotter and Chance Campbell, both solid special teams contributors who could get more defensive opportunities in 2026.
Offensive tackle Fred Johnson is taking a slightly different approach. He said (via The Athletic’s Zach Berman) that “opportunity” will be the biggest factor in his decision. Johnson started 14 games across the last two seasons with time at both tackle spots, but if Lane Johnson returns for the 2026 season, he will not get a starting job in Philadelphia.
“Obviously, this my home team,” Johnson said. “This is where I want to end my career, but you never know how things play out. And I feel like I played myself into a role that is more than just a backup, more than just a guy. I feel like I’m a starter in this league, and I feel like I showed that. I don’t know what the future holds, but the first rights to anything is Philly.”
Johnson said last May that he intends to play out the rest of his current contract, which goes through 2027, but his injuries this season could change his mind. In that case, Johnson would be a strong candidate to re-sign in Philadelphia and take on the starting right tackle job moving forward.