Parsons has seen more reps as an off-ball linebacker through two days of training camp rather than lining up purely as an edge rusher, Saad Yousuf of The Athletic reports. The All-Pro defender also lost 10 pounds this offseason as he prepares to handle more duties in pass coverage. "I'm going to be all over, man," Parsons said after Friday's practice. "At the end of the day, they got to find me. That's what I train for." Parsons' usage was expected to change in 2024 as the Cowboys transition from Dan Quinn's defensive scheme to Mike Zimmer's, but getting after the quarterback is still expected to be his main responsibility. The shift could end up resulting in better IDP production, however -- the 2021 first-round pick hasn't come close to the career-high 84 tackles he recorded as a rookie in the two seasons since, as Quinn lined him up at the line of scrimmage more and more often.
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Parsons has seen more reps as an off-ball linebacker through two days of training camp rather than lining up purely as an edge rusher, Saad Yousuf of The Athletic reports. The All-Pro defender also lost 10 pounds this offseason as he prepares to handle more duties in pass coverage. "I'm going to be all over, man," Parsons said after Friday's practice. "At the end of the day, they got to find me. That's what I train for." Parsons' usage was expected to change in 2024 as the Cowboys transition from Dan Quinn's defensive scheme to Mike Zimmer's, but getting after the quarterback is still expected to be his main responsibility. The shift could end up resulting in better IDP production, however -- the 2021 first-round pick hasn't come close to the career-high 84 tackles he recorded as a rookie in the two seasons since, as Quinn lined him up at the line of scrimmage more and more often.
The Cowboys have picked up Parsons' fifth-year contract option, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports. The move keeps the 2021 first-rounder -- who played the majority of his snaps at defensive end in 2023 -- under contract with Dallas through the 2025 campaign. Per Gehlken, the star defender's salary in his fifth NFL season will be $21.32 million. The 24-year-old is coming off another productive effort with the Cowboys, in which he racked up 64 tackles and a career high 14 sacks in 17 regular-season outings.
The Cowboys brought down Bryce Young seven times in total in a 33-10 rout, with Parsons setting a new season high in sacks along the way. The third-year pass rusher has 10 sacks in 10 games to begin the 2023 campaign, putting him on pace to shatter the career-high 13.5 he racked up last season.
He piled up three QB hits in total, and Parsons collected the sack on a second-half play in which Jalen Hurts appeared to injure his knee, although it was contact from a falling DeMarcus Lawrence that seemed to do the damage. Parsons is up to 7.5 sacks through eight games this season, tying him for eighth in the league with Philly's Haason Reddick and Baltimore's Justin Madubuike.