The Cowboys have hired Mike Pettine to their defensive staff as a senior defensive assistant, per ESPN reporting cited by multiple outlets. Pettine, a longtime NFL coach, will work under defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who is in his first year leading Dallas's defense.
The hire carries a professional connection: Parker got his first job in professional football in 2019 when Pettine was the defensive coordinator in Green Bay. It remains unclear what Pettine's exact title will be or the specific scope of his role with the Cowboys' defense, though his addition represents an effort to bolster a unit that has struggled early this season.
2-33rd in NFC EastStreak L1
Dallas enters Sunday's game at Green Bay at 2–3, third in the NFC East, after losing 24–16 to Tampa Bay on Thursday night. The loss capped a three-game stretch that included a 34–30 win over Houston and a 34–31 defeat to Baltimore. The Cowboys' defensive struggles have been evident throughout, and the team's thin margin in recent losses suggests the defense has been central to Dallas's early-season slide.
The Cowboys will face Green Bay on Sunday, October 18, with Pettine back at Lambeau Field, where the two worked together five years earlier.
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