The decision to fire Matt Eberflus felt like a weight off Dallas Cowboys fans’ backs after they suffered through maybe the worst defensive season in franchise history.
Simply moving on from Eberflus improved the outlook of the defense, and things suddenly feel as bright as the sun beaming through AT&T Stadium when Jerry Jones chooses not to close the blinds thanks to new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Parker will have his work cut out for him, but the staff he's assembled thus far inspires a ton of confidence. And it certainly doesn't hurt to have a player like Quinnen Williams anchoring the defense in the trenches.
Williams hasn't gotten the chance to meet Parker in person just yet. After all, the new DC has been working around the clock to finalize his staff. Despite that, Williams has utmost confidence that Parker is the right man for the job, and he's eager to sink his teeth into Parker's scheme.
"Just trying to get the whole offseason together, he’s getting everything together and all the stuff like that,” Williams said, via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It’s going to be a cool change, though ... It’ll be an amazing opportunity, amazing chance to get a chance to learn and grow and develop and get this defense going in the right direction.”
EXCLUSIVE: Cowboys DT Quinnen Williams feels like they have the players on defense to be successful.
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) February 3, 2026
“We have…a phenomenal offense and a phenomenal defense player-wise. Put everything together, [we’ll] get everything going in the right direction.”
He now sees even more…
Cowboys star Quinnen Williams is already excited to get to work with new DC Christian Parker
"Get this defense going in the right direction" hits the nail on the head. And we're certainly not breaking any news by saying that Dallas' defense didn't do much "learning and growing" this past season.
The Eberflus experiment reached a point where players no longer believed in the scheme. Veteran pass rusher Dante Fowler said it best after the season when he subtly called out Eberflus for failing to "evolve" around his players and not taking players' suggestions on potential tweaks.
Brian Schottenheimer offered perhaps the most damning assessment of all at the Cowboys’ end-of-season press conference, saying he wants "someone that's a great teacher" as the team's next defensive coordinator.
Schottenheimer also said he wanted a great communicator, someone who's passionate about football, who can filter complex concepts into teachable terms and can be multiple.
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We’ll know more about the scheme(s) Parker wants to run once his defensive staff is complete, but early indications point to a passionate coach who values communication, technique, and attention to detail. That's been reflected in the exhaustive search to build out his staff.
Williams seemingly didn’t intend any shade toward Eberflus, but not even the jolly giant could sugarcoat how much room the defense has to grow.
Eberflus' unit beat Cowboys fans into submission throughout the 2025 season, and it culminated down the stretch when it fell flat in must-win games. Parker's arrival and his subsequent hires have injected new life into just about everyone, including Big Q.
If you listen closely, you'll hear a quiet buzz building around the post-Eberflus Cowboys.