Getty Micah Parsons is one of the Cowboys most versatile defenders.
If Micah Parsons’ postgame comments are any indication, the Dallas Cowboys star linebacker believes he may have played his last game with former Pro Bowl defender Leighton Vander Esch along with starting safety Jayron Kearse. Both are free agents and Parson volunteered the idea that they may be heading elsewhere this offseason.
“It’s really tough because I’m used to college and seeing the seniors go and you come back,” Parsons explained during his January 17 press conference. “But you got a bunch of guys [who are] like free agents soon and I look at guys like Leighton who I call like a big brother now and I never know if I’m gonna play with him again and I didn’t come in today thinking this would be my last game with him and same like J.K. [Jayron Kearse].
“So, it’s tough and for myself, I’m emotional because I grew a bond with these guys, and if I see ’em again I hope we could play together. But I mean, it’s real emotional in there, man. I think nobody wanted this outcome and everybody really played to win, we just gotta clean things up for next year.”
Here is a look at Parsons’ full press conference.
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Vander Esch Is Among the Cowboys’ Key Free Agents
Vander Esch is set to hit free agency after the Cowboys declined his fifth-year option last offseason. The Cowboys have maintained that they desire to re-sign Vander Esch but the drafting of both Parsons and Jabril Cox puts that into question.
We already saw the Cowboys part ways with Jaylon Smith mid-season. Even without Vander Esch, the Cowboys are already projected to be more than $21 million over the salary cap for next season, per Spotrac.
“We’ve just got obviously some unknowns,” Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan in June 2021, per DallasCowboys.com. “Not unlike Sean Lee, Leighton’s had some bad luck with injuries that we were able to work through with Sean. And then of course not knowing what our cap situation is going to be next year, where the league is going to peg the cap, how all of this is going to work out, we just felt like unfortunately we needed to do this.
“But we … had a good visit with his agent and they know our intentions are to keep him around.”
Stephen Jones Predicted ’15 to 25 New Faces’ on the Cowboys Roster for 2022
Parsons mentioned Vander Esch and Kearse by name but the Cowboys also have other key players who are free agents. These include linebacker Keanu Neal, receiver Michael Gallup, wideout Cedrick Wilson, pass rusher Randy Gregory, safety Malik Hooker, tight end Dalton Schultz, safety Damontae Kazee and defensive end Dorance Armstrong just to name a few.
During his first interview since the season ended, Stephen Jones sounded like a man who expects a major roster overhaul this offseason.
“So, it’s a tough time,” Jones told Dallas’ 105.3 the Fan during a January 17 interview. “I mean, unfortunately in the NFL, the way this works, you know, there’ll be 15 to 25 new faces next year. So, it’s a great group of men [in] terms of they had a really nice season, earned the No. 3 seed. We just weren’t able to get over the hump in the playoffs and that’s, as I said, that’s disappointing.”