Cowboys pull petty move by denying Eagles' interview request

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Cowboys pull petty move by denying Eagles' request to interview Klayton Adams for OC vacancy

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jan 25, 2026 3:38 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys aren't letting the Philadelphia Eagles get payback for poaching one of their top assistants.

The Cowboys hired former Eagles passing game coordinator Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator on Thursday. It's a significant loss for a Philadelphia defense that allowed 19.3 points per game in 2025, the sixth-best mark in the NFL (including playoffs).

Philadelphia subsequently tried to lure Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams away from Dallas. Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles requested to interview Adams to replace recently fired OC Kevin Patullo. Dallas blocked it.

"The NFL allows teams to deny requests that would result in a lateral move, even though Adams would serve as the play caller in Philadelphia," wrote Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams. "Head coach Brian Schottenheimer calls the plays in Dallas."

The Eagles requested to interview Cowboys OC Klayton Adams for their offensive coordinator job but Dallas blocked the request, per league sources.

Dallas finished second in total offense and values Adams. pic.twitter.com/hfbfYKfva3
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 25, 2026

Why did the Cowboys block Eagles' request to interview Klayton Adams?

Adams may not call the plays for Dallas, but he remains a key member of its coaching staff. The 42-year-old assistant is considered a run-game expert.

Before the Cowboys hired him, Adams served as an offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals for two seasons. The Cardinals ranked seventh in the league in rushing yards (144.2) in 2024 after ranking third (139.1) in 2023.

This season, the Cowboys ranked ninth in the NFL in rushing yards (125.6), and running back Javonte Williams salvaged his career. After suffering an ACL/LCL tear in 2022 and producing subpar numbers over the next two seasons, it appeared the former Denver Bronco would soon be out of the league. The fifth-year RB, however, ran for a career-high 1,201 yards in 16 games.

Williams isn't the only Cowboy who thrived this season. Dallas ranked sixth in the NFL in points per game (27.7).

"Everywhere," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said in October 2025 when asked where Adams has helped the most (via ESPN's Todd Archer). "I mean, it would be hard to just say one area. That's a guy that loves football, loves the locker room, loves his players, loves coaching, loves inspiring.

"Klayton brings a sense of intensity and focus and grit to our offense that you can't really quantify it, I guess."

He could undoubtedly have a similar impact in Philadelphia, which features RB Saquon Barkley and QB Jalen Hurts—no wonder the Cowboys don't want to face an Adams-led offense twice a year.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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