Caleb Harris
FRISCO, Texas – To quote a catchphrase from Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, the NFL makes exceptions for its stars.
That’s certainly the case for edge rusher Micah Parsons, who has earned three All-Pro selections (two first-team) in three NFL seasons. He is one of five players – three of whom are Hall of Famers (Reggie White, Derrick Thomas and Dwight Freeney) – to record 40 or more sacks (40.5 for Parsons) in his first three NFL seasons. Parsons was the 2023 season leader in quarterback pressures (103), quarterback pressure rate (21.8%), and pass rush win rate (35.3%), which is where a pass rusher defeats his block. in less than 2.5 seconds.
While some of the team’s organized offseason activities are technically voluntary, in the NFL, workouts are actually “voluntary.” Even quarterback Dak Prescott, who is seeking a new long-term deal as he enters his 2024 contract year, assured that he is in the building for OTAs. Parsons, who is back in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex after a turbulent offseason in Asia promoting the game of football, did not attend the OTAs, opting to utilize boxing training in the area to improve his pass-rush handiwork, from a deal with the Dallas Morning News.
“Micah is here in town. He was in and out,” McCarthy said at OTAs on Wednesday. “He’s obviously had some unique travel opportunities. He was here on Friday. I spent a lot of time with him on Friday. He really looks great. He’s in excellent shape. So I know what he’s doing, where is doing, and so on.”
Parsons competed with sumo wrestlers in Japan a few weeks ago as part of a trip to develop football in the Eastern Hemisphere with Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud. A week ago, new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer joked, “He probably could have done that to me.”
However, McCarthy stated that Dallas’ defensive engine is not falling behind despite missing the opportunity to be with his teammates, as Zimmer implements a new defensive scheme than the one the team has run the past three years under Dan Quinn, who is now the head coach of the Washington Commanders.
“So obviously he went to Tokyo to work out,” McCarthy said. “So, yes, he is preparing physically, but he has been having individual meetings within the framework of our operation here in the offseason program.
McCarthy anticipates Parsons will return to the team facility for the second week of OTAs, with his participation even more likely in mandatory minicamp in June.
“Yeah, I think there’s still some time where we’ll have him here next week,” McCarthy said.
