The Dallas Cowboys made a loud statement by hiring Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator. The move represents a changing of the guard for a franchise that has long favored older coaches with previous head-coaching experience.
Given that Parker is only 34 years old and had never been a DC in the league before, odds are Jerry and Stephen Jones did not know his name before they fired Matt Eberflus.
Just as he did with Klayton Adams one year ago, Brian Schottenheimer focused on an innovative football mind who knows how to get the most from their players. That Schottenheimer weakened Philadelphia in the process makes the hire that much better, but Parker's arrival wasn't the only good news Cowboys fans were treated to on Thursday.
Just as the Parker news set social media ablaze, veteran Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper announced his retirement from the NFL.
You might remember Skipper from the contentious Cowboys-Lions game in 2023. He was at the center of the controversial ending that saw Dallas emerge victorious.
Cowboys nemesis Dan Skipper announces retirement from the NFL
Let's take a stroll down memory lane, shall we?
The Lions appeared to have the game won with 23 seconds left in regulation after Taylor Decker caught Jared Goff's two-point conversion attempt.
However, Decker was flagged for not reporting himself as an eligible receiver before the snap, with the officials saying after the game that it was Skipper who had reported. The teams had to replay the down, and Detroit failed on two more attempts before suffering a 20-19 loss.
The officials completely botched the call, and Skipper and Lions fans simply could not let it go. It became a rallying cry for the city. Ford Field exploded every time he reported as eligible from that point on.
READ MORE: Cooper DeJean's gut-punch reaction to Cowboys' Christian Parker hire says it all
A year later, when the Lions smacked the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, Dan Campbell had Skipper report as eligible to take a knee in the final seconds.
And sure enough, Skipper referenced the play in his retirement announcement. No, we are not joking.
“[Twenty-four] years of putting on pads and a helmet every fall. This year I'll trade that out to pursue a career on the,” Skipper said on Instagram. “The memories and experiences that the NFL has brought me and my family are hard to put into words. Thankful for every person that has been apart of my journey. It's time for me to "report" as retired. (Sorry I had to do it one last time!)”
The Lions' pettiness was understandable at first, but the extreme to which they leaned into it has become obnoxious. They reacted as if it were a playoff game and that the NFL was out to get them. Blown calls decide games all of the time, and not just during the regular season.
We wish Skipper nothing but the best in retirement, but Cowboys fans certainly won’t miss seeing him the next time Dallas and Detroit lock horns.