New Cowboys DC Christian Parker says team will have to get its 'head out of the sand'

Christian Parker has thoughts on the state of the Dallas Cowboys' defense, and he wasn't afraid to basically insinuate that things look rough right now.

Parker was hired by the Cowboys after two seasons as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. A first-time defensive coordinator, he's inheriting a unit that was last in the NFL in points per game allowed last season (30.1) and third-worst in yards per game allowed with 377. 

In his introductory news conference on Wednesday, Parker made it clear that the Cowboys have plenty of work ahead on defense. As such, they have to take it day by day and remain focused.

"Yeah, I don't think we want to put any expectations on it in that regard," Parker said of the Cowboys' defensive rebuild, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. "I think we just want to kind of take it day by day and do it the right way. So we're kind of just taking that approach. We'll get our head out of the sand at some point, but right now we got tunnel vision on doing things the right way."

Normally, having your "head in the sand" is a bad thing. That's something that people say about someone who is avoiding the obvious reality in front of them.

Cowboys fans will be relieved to hear that the way Parker used that phrase does not indicate that he's trying to hide from anything in Dallas.

Brian Schottenheimer says new Cowboys DC Christian Parker is wise beyond his years 

Instead, he's a first-time defensive coordinator who is acknowledging that this historic NFL franchise has to focus and not get swept away with the hype that seems to come every offseason.

They're not going to overhaul this thing with one signing or one 2026 NFL Draft pick, and at just 34 years old, Parker seems to realize that.

In fact, head coach Brian Schottenheimer affirmed that Parker has a good head on his shoulders despite his young age and relative lack of experience in the NFL.

"The way he carries himself, he's wise beyond his years," Schottenheimer said. "I mean this, he's convicted and I did tell him I was a coordinator at 32 years old. He's 34, so he's been slacking — a little disappointing I had to beat him by two years. I say that in jest because, like, he's been preparing for this for the last four or five years. ... A ton of respect for Vic Fangio. He's cut his teeth under Vic, but he's not Vic. He's got his own convictions and beliefs, and that's what I learned about the guy."

Notably, convictions and beliefs aren't enough to be a great defensive coordinator. Parker will actually have to call the right plays in the big moments, and so far, he has no experience doing that.

Still, he seems to be the right person for the job, at least when it comes to realizing the amount of work that is ahead of this team.

He still needs to go and prove himself, but Parker's first impression in Dallas has been positive.