Broncos in danger of losing DBs coach Christian Parker to Patriots
When Sean Payton took over as the Denver Broncos’ new head coach last year, he kept just two members of the former coaching staff: defensive backs coach Christian Parker and defensive line coach Marcus Dixon.
Parker, 32, is considered a rising star on Denver’s staff and he might one day become a head coach. The next step for Parker on his path to a potential head coach job down the road would be a promotion to defensive coordinator.
The Broncos currently have Vance Joseph as their DC and at least one other team is interested in Parker as a DC candidate.
The New England Patriots are set to interview Parker for their DC opening after making Jerod Mayo their HC, according to multiple reports.
Parker joined Denver’s staff as a DBs coach in 2021 after serving as a defensive quality control coach with the Green Bay Packers from 2019-2020. Before that, Parker worked at four colleges from 2013-2018, including Notre Dame and Texas A&M before making a jump to the NFL.
Joseph has stuck with the Broncos through three different HCs — Vic Fangio, Nathaniel Hackett and Payton — and three different DCs — Ed Donatell, Ejiro Evero and Joseph. A coach staying with a team through three different staffs is unusual and a reflection of how well Parker is thought of in Denver.
Last year, Joseph, 51, praised Parker and spoke about the assistant helping him create a scheme with elements carried over from Evero and Fangio.
“He’s sharp, man,” 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 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.”
Losing Parker would be a huge loss not only for the Broncos’ secondary but for the defense as a whole. Unless Denver parts ways with Joseph, the Broncos do not have an in-house position available for Parker. So one year after losing Evero, Denver is now in danger of losing Parker as well.
Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
