Getty Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons seems to have ignited an NFL firestorm.
The Cowboys edge rusher has been defending himself from attacks from around the league, including from former star Rob Gronkowski, who referred to Parsons’ criticism of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy as “weird” on a podcast appearance.
“Prime example of let’s attack the person rather than addressing the topic !” Parsons posted on X on December 27, just seven minutes after Gronkowski’s appearance on FanDuel’s “Up & Adams” show. “Yeah because it’s so weird a football player is talking about football on a web site where you can write your own thoughts and opinions!”
Parsons had intimated on X after the 49ers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas that San Francisco’s not taking shots downfield while trailing 33-19 late in the game was an indictment of Purdy.
Two days later, Gronkowski offered his thoughts.
“It’s really weird that he’s tweeting that out there,” Gronkowski told “Up & Adams” host Kay Adams. “First of all, there’s a saying out there: Losers focus on winners, and winners focus on winning. And if you want to be a winner, then you have to focus on winning.
“It’s really, really weird, though, in this case because Micah Parsons is one of the best defensive players in the league. He might win Defensive Player of the Year this year,” Gronkowski, a former All-Pro tight end and current TV analyst, said. “But on top of it, it’s a team game. It doesn’t matter how good you are as an individual.”
After Parsons posted his response just minutes after the “Up & Adams” show posted the interview clip, Gronkowski did not drop the argument.
“That was fast, wow,” Gronkowski told Adams. “I mean, everyone has their own opinion — I got to agree with that. Everyone has their own channel now with social media, but I still think it’s weird that you’re worried about another team, man. You just have to worry about what you can control, not what the other team is doing.”
Deebo Samuel Fires Back at Micah Parsons
Shortly after Gronkowski shared his thoughts on Parsons’ comments, Deebo Samuels of San Francisco 49ers also fired away at the Cowboys star.
“Bro, we beat you [42-10] a long time ago,” Samuels said on “Up & Adams,” referring to the Week 5 game in which Purdy passed for 252 yards with four touchdowns. “I don’t get why he’s so bothered about what we got going on over here or whatever the case may be.”
If Dallas and San Francisco eventually meet again in the NFC playoffs, there will be no shortage of bulletin board material for either side.
Lions’ Ben Johnson Has Much Respect for Micah Parsons
Parsons and the Cowboys can put some pressure on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East race, with a victory December 30 against the Detroit Lions.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson believes that having success against the Cowboys’ defense starts with neutralizing Parsons.
“He’s a game wrecker, for sure,” Johnson told reporters. “I was just talking to the guys upstairs, they move him around so much whether it’s the right side, left side, over the guard, or the center, he’s just – every snap he’s in almost a different location, so it’s hard to get a beat a little bit to account for where he’s at.”
Parsons enters Week 17 with 13 sacks, a half sack shy of setting a new career-high. But, part of what makes Parsons such a dangerous weapon is that he excels from just about anywhere defensive coordinator Dan Quinn lines him up.
“OK, so you know where he’s at,” Johnson said. “They have so many other dynamic guys up front that are fresh … It’s pretty special what they can accomplish with their pass-rush. So, Micah is a huge part of the issues we are encountering here this week.”