Cowboys hire longtime NFL coach out of retirement to address team's brutal defensive start
Fox News • • sports
Key Points:
- The Dallas Cowboys have hired veteran coach Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant to help address ongoing defensive struggles that have persisted since 2025, following a recent upset loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Pettine will work alongside young defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who is in his first year and is the youngest defensive coordinator in Cowboys history; the two have a prior working relationship from their time with the Green Bay Packers.
- Pettine, who had retired before the 2026 season, came out of retirement after the Cowboys' poor defensive performance and will not replace Parker but rather collaborate to improve the unit's results.
- Dallas currently ranks near the bottom of the NFL in defensive statistics, allowing the second-most yards per game and the worst run defense, while relying heavily on their offense led by Dak Prescott.
- The Cowboys will face the Green Bay Packers, Pettine and Parker’s former team, in a primetime Sunday Night Football game in Week 6.
