Mike McCarthy and Micah Parsons (Photos via Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy didn’t hold back in expressing his disappointment with star linebacker Micah Parsons on Friday.
Micah Parsons was absent from Cowboys OTAs last week and only attended the team’s media day session on Wednesday, per Nick Harris of the team’s official website. The 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year was a no-show for Thursday’s media session, Harris added.
While speaking to reporters on Thursday, McCarthy expressed disappointment in Parsons over his decision to skip OTAs, per Harris:
“I think any time that you have a chance to be together, it’s an opportunity to improve. Whether it’s in the mental realm, the physical realm and the emotional connection and so forth. It’s a long year. Training camp is really the heightened focus for all of that, but it’s definitely an opportunity that’s been missed (for Parsons).”
Parsons is one of three big-name Cowboys eligible for a contract extension but has yet to receive it. The others are superstar wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott, as both are entering the final year of their respective deals.
Parsons is still under contract for two more years, but the Cowboys are taking a calculated risk in not extending him now. If Parsons continues to produce at an All-Pro rate, his price tag will only skyrocket.
Lamb had the fifth-year option on his rookie deal picked up last offseason, so he’s been eligible to sign an extension for a while now. As for Prescott, he’s entering the last of a four-year, $160 million deal that was signed in 2021.
Micah Parsons In Line For A Monster 2024 Season
The Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in franchise history during the 2020 season, McCarthy’s first under the job. His first big move was replacing DC Mike Nolan with Dan Quinn, who arrived just before the Cowboys used their 2021 first-round pick on Parsons.
Since Parsons’ arrival, Dallas has boasted a top-10 defense each year. He has recorded a whopping 40.5 sacks, eight pass defenses and seven forced fumbles in just 50 games, cementing himself as one of the league’s premier game-wreckers.
Another monster season awaits Parsons, who has simply gotten better each year since his jaw-dropping rookie year.
REPORT: Kansas City Chiefs Reveal Kicker Harrison Butker Could Be Demoted Next Season
Harrison Butker (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs have revealed they’re considering benching Harrison Butker for kickoffs next season.
Butker has been performing kickoffs for the Chiefs since his rookie season in 2017 but could see the role handed to someone else in 2024.
Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke to reporters on Thursday and disclosed the team is mulling over keeping Butker benched for kickoffs.
While the kicker has been catching criticism from all over due to the controversial comments he made earlier in May, his potential benching has nothing to do with it. They’re considering it so he doesn’t take hits all season.
“I like to have somebody who is able to make a tackle, Butker is able to make a tackle, but I really don’t want him making tackles all year long,” Toub explained.
The NFL is set to introduce a new kickoff rule in 2024, and Toub has noticed that kickers in the UFL have been taking hard hits as they’re more involved in tackling.
