ARLINGTON – Nachos and a nap?
Just before Friday night’s preseason finale against the visiting Falcons here at AT&T Stadium, an out-of-uniform Micah Parsons trudged down the tunnel connecting the Cowboys locker room to the field while casually eating nachos. When an Atlanta fan shouted out, “Come to the Falcons,” Parsons responded …
By making a ‘call me’ sign with an imaginary phone to his ear.
Parsons’ actions during Dallas’ 31-13 win added to the drama in a way that we might argue matches team owner Jerry Jones’ penchant for stirring things up.
During the game, Parsons found himself tired or bored or sore-backed enough to lie down on a table on the sideline. He later explained on Twitter that his action (well, inaction) is being misinterpreted by the mean ol’ media.
“I actually appreciate this,” Parsons wrote. “The way media shapes perception and narratives is wild … I’d never disrespect the guys out there fighting for their lives.”
Alas, “disrespect” is absolutely the name of the game being played by Jones and Parsons.
Parsons – who demanded a trade three weeks ago – on Friday scrubbed references to the Cowboys on his social media feeds.
Jones made the media rounds at the end of the week to reiterate his view that agent David Mulugheta has steered Parsons away from a “handshake” deal agreed to in March that would give Parsons the most guaranteed money ever for a non-QB.
Jones said on Michael Irvin’s YouTube Channel that when the Cowboys attempted to send the details to Parsons’ agent, Mulugheta told them to “stick it up our ass.”
Mulugheta has responded by saying Jones’ claims are “bullcrap and lies.”
While a source told me on Friday that Dallas has received “an unbelievable number” of trade calls from other teams, the Cowboys appear ready to let Parsons to play out this season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract at $21.324 million.
At the same time, I can argue that the Cowboys owe it to themselves to consider all solutions, including humbly circling back to the agent and answering those phone calls from potential bidders.
“I’m always willing to do what it takes,” Jerry said this week. “A year ago, I made Dak (Prescott) the highest-paid player ever in the history of the NFL. I made the receiver about the third or fourth highest-paid receiver in the NFL, (CeeDee) Lamb. So I don’t have a cramped-up hand. I do know how to wiggle a pencil and write a check.”
Does “do what it takes” include bending and listening?
Parsons did not speak to reporters, but his pal Trevon Diggs did, saying that Parsons’ status for Week 1 at Philadelphia depends on that sore back.
Diggs claims that Micah underwent an MRI on his back on Friday.
“It depends on how his back feels,” Diggs said of the prognosis for Parsons at Philly. “I know he was real sore this morning. He went and got it checked out. That’s the last thing I heard from him.”
Parsons has not practiced all summer as he conducted his “hold-in” on a path toward becoming the NFL’s highest-paid defender ever (at $40 million APY) and/or becoming an ex-Cowboy via trade.
Jones seems unworried about the threat as it relates to Micah skipping the Sept. 4 opener. And does coach Brian Schottenheimer feel the same way?
“I do,” he said.
