In Micah Parsons’ eyes, the Philadelphia Eagles had their chance last season.
It is now the Dallas Cowboys’ turn to take a run at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Cowboys suffered another divisional round loss in the playoffs last season, but Parsons is not one to dwell on the past. He may only be entering his third year in the league, but he has solidified himself as one of the best defensive players in the game, and he knows that edge can lead to a Super Bowl.
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Micah Parsons, #11 of the Dallas Cowboys, defends against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Dec. 29, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Additionally, he does not want to hear those saying the Eagles are simply going to repeat as NFC East champions and waltz through the conference on their way to another Super Bowl.
“Man, I don’t say nothing,” Parsons told Fox News Digital over the phone ahead of Fanatics’ Merch Madness Fan Gear Giveaway when asked about those that believe the Eagles are going to be the best team in the league once again. “The work is going to put in. You still got to show up on Sundays, man. You could have the best lineup in the world, [and] they had the same team they had last year. Their team came up short.
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“It’s our turn this year. You gotta capitalize on your opportunities and this is our year.”
The Cowboys were a formidable group last season with a 12-5 record, but it was only good for a wild card spot because the best regular-season record went to the 14-3 Eagles, who tied with the Kansas City Chiefs in that category. It was only right the two best teams duke it out in Glendale, Arizona, for the rights to Super Bowl LVII.
As Parsons pointed out, the Eagles retained basically the same team this season, with GM Howie Roseman’s contract extension for quarterback Jalen Hurts being the biggest offseason move of all.
One can make the argument they got even better after having a consensus success in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Georgia defensive standouts Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, who are expected to make big impacts next season on a unit that was second-best in the regular season with 301.5 yards allowed.
Micah Parsons, #11 of the Dallas Cowboys, defends against the Indianapolis Colts at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 4, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Dallas made some moves of their own though. While Ezekiel Elliott is no longer in their backfield, Tony Pollard gets the lion’s share of touches now with Brandin Cooks added to the wide receivers room.
On defense, Jerry Jones brought in Stephon Gilmore at cornerback, while drafting nose tackle Mazi Smith to add to Parson’s defensive line that includes Demarcus Lawrence and Osa Odighizuwa.
Parsons was the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up last year, as San Francisco 49ers lineman Nick Bosa’s 18.5 sacks outweighed Parsons’ 13.5 among other categories when it came time to count votes. Still, Parsons, in just his second year, solidified himself as one of the best defensive lineman and one of the best defensive players overall, in the NFL.
So Year 3, which is usually the “leap year” for players in the league, will be status quo on his end.
“Same mission: Be the best player in the league, have the best impact in the league,” he said. “Show people I am who I am and make a statement this year.”
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Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl defensive end Micah Parsons interacts with a young girl during Fanatics’ Merch Madness Fan Gear Giveaway on June 27, 2023. (Fanatics)
“I’m going to be the best player week in, week out to help win the Super Bowl.”
With the Super Bowl on his mind on the field, Parsons took the time Tuesday morning to give back to the Dallas community off the field.
Parsons was brought out a country-wide initiative by Fanatics to give away roughly $20 million in licensed merchandise to over 100,000 underserved kids and their families.
While many athletes and celebrities were in various cities giving their time for CEO Michael Rubin’s cause, Parsons headlined the event in Dallas, where he explained why this event hit home for him personally.
“I wish Michael did this 15 years ago when I was a kid. This is an awesome thing,” he said. “I never really had a jersey before. Never bought one. My mom wasn’t spending $200 on a jersey.
Micah Parsons, #11 of the Dallas Cowboys, warms up before kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 4, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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“For me, it’s all about the kids. That’s our future.”
