Green Bay Packers Are Rumored to Have Offered Defensive Coordinator Position to 1 Unexpected Candidate

The Green Bay Packers are rumored to be nearing the end of their search for their next defensive coordinator. As all fans are aware, embattled and unpopular defensive coordinator Joe Barry was fired by head coach Matt LaFleur earlier this week. It was a move that many fans had hoped would be taken, but were unsure if the ever-loyal LaFleur would take.

Since the decision to fire Barry, Green Bay has been reportedly interested in four candidates: former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde, Buffalo Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich, and Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker.

Green Bay required permission to interview Durde and Babich from their respective teams. Whether or not an interview took place with either has not been reported. However, Babich has interviewed for the New York Giants defensive coordinator position and two other teams have asked the Cowboys for permission to interview Durde.

It is highly improbable that Green Bay went into the interview process with only four names. However, those were the only four names revealed to the public. Both Staley and Parker have actually interviewed for the position.

The Green Bay Packers Are Rumored to Have Offered the Defensive Coordinator Job to Christian Parker

It should be noted that the Packers have not announced any hiring decision yet. However, two different people who cover the Packers have claimed that sources tell them Green Bay has offered the job to Parker:

Brian Maafi, who is one of the co-hosts of Go Dads Go with Gilbert Brown, says his source is from within the Denver Broncos organization.

If Hired, What Can Green Bay Packers Fans Expect from Christian Parker?

Only 32 years old, Parker will be a very relevant voice as the Packers have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. He also is not married to just one defensive scheme. During his time as a NFL coach (two seasons of which were spent with the Packers), Parkers has worked for Mike Pettine, Vic Fangio, Ejiro Evero, and Vance Joseph.

Last summer, Joseph, the current Broncos defensive coordinator, had the following to say about Parker:

“He’s sharp, man,” current defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said of Parker on June 14. “He’s sharp. He’s a star. He is a great partner to work with. As a veteran coach, I’ve coordinated for about seven years now. My tape is out there, so I’m looking for ways to do different things.

“[I’ve been] speaking with Christian every day and bouncing ideas off him from what he’s done with Vic [Fangio] and guys in the past has been fun. [We’re] making changes and growing off what they did last year. He’s smart, he works his butt off and his players love playing for him. He’s a star.”

Just to give an idea of how good Parker is at adapting, as well as how valuable he is, since joining Denver in 2021, he has served under three different head coaches: Fangio, Nathaniel Hackett, and Sean Peyton. Each of them saw how valuable he was to their success.

If Parker is indeed the one who takes over as defensive coordinator, it could be the start of an entirely different era of Packers defense.