21 August 2023 , 00:52
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Dallas Cowboys defender Micah Parsons was so good as a rookie in 2021 that he contended for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. But as he reminded the latest crop of first-year players, he wasn't perfect and got "destroyed" by then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady in his debut.
In a social media message meant to lessen the anxieties of 2023 draft picks, Parsons wrote, "Idk why we put so many expectations on rookies it's takes so long to get adapted to the NFL!! Tom brady destroyed me opening night!! You just gotta learn and stay positive! Never make the same mistakes twice!"
Brady completed 32 of 50 pass attempts for 379 yards and four touchdowns in the game Parsons referenced. Tampa Bay won that contest 31-29, though Parsons may have been harsh in his self-evaluation — he contributed seven tackles and deflected a pass.
Since then, Parsons has finished second in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his first two seasons while racking up 26.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. He helped the Cowboys best Brady in the playoffs, sending the legendary quarterback into retirement with a 31-14 win.
Dallas took eight players in the 2023 NFL Draft, four playing defence. Their top selection, defensive tackle Mazi Smith at No. 26 overall, could be an instant contributor this year. They also selected DeMarvion Overshown, who has since sustained a severe knee injury, as well as edge rusher Viliami Fehoko and cornerback Eric Scott Jr.
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Parsons has seemingly gotten through to Smith about keeping level-headed, with the lineman all business in training camp. "I don't do no talking," Smith said in a statement that went viral on social media. "We get straight after it, I'm trying to hit you. ... I don't got nothin' to say. I don't even like football. I like hitting people."
Now that Parsons is entering his third NFL season, though, he's given himself more latitude to raise the stakes. He feels he can handle pressure now. So much so that he declared earlier this offseason that he thinks the Cowboys are "top in the NFC" — news to the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, who played in last season's NFC Championship game.
Dallas Cowboys first-rounder Mazi Smith says he doesn't like football and just likes hitting people. (Getty Images)"What do I think this defence can be? I think we can be up there with the 49ers' great defense," Parsons added to 105.3 the FAN. "I think we can be up there with Ray Lewis' defense. I think we can be up there with the Legion of Boom.
"[That's] the talent we have, the vet guys and the young guys, the experience we all have. Since my rookie year, we got thrown into the fire.
"And we've gotten experience from tough games, playoff-level games, and I don't think there's a guy on our team that doesn't have postseason experience outside of the guys that just came in."