Tag: Parsons

Sep 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) injured in the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Report: Cowboys LB Micah Parsons has high ankle sprain; DE could miss weeks

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons could miss time with a high ankle sprain, the diagnosis received by the two-time All-Pro following an MRI exam on Friday, NFL Network reported.

Parsons said after the Cowboys defeated the Giants on Thursday night that X-rays on his ankle were negative. He was one of three key defenders who left the field injured in New Jersey and was captured following the return flight to Texas by TV cameras heavily limping and attempting to keep weight off of his left leg.

NFL Network reported defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) is expected to miss multiple games and could be out until after the team’s Week 7 bye following an MRI exam on Friday. Cornerback Trevon Diggs (leg) was helped to the sideline during the 20-15 victory but his issue was thought to be related to hydration.

Parsons briefly left the game with a neck injury but returned before he was carted to the locker room because of the ankle issue. He told ESPN on Thursday night he would ice his ankle and “try to get back next week.”

The Cowboys (2-2) have an extended break before Week 5 with what appears to be a challenging stretch ahead. The Cowboys play the Steelers (3-0) in primetime Oct. 6 at Pittsburgh and host the Detroit Lions (2-1) in Week 6 before a bye week. The Cowboys return for a Sunday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers (1-2) on Oct. 27.

Parsons got hurt with 3:30 left as he was being blocked low by guard Greg Van Roten and high by center John Michael Schmitz Jr. Van Roten appeared to come down on the back of Parsons’ foot.

Lawrence said X-rays on his foot were negative, though he also is headed for an MRI exam, as well. He said, according to Yahoo Sports, “I’ll be back in no time.”

Both Parsons and Lawrence had two tackles and Monday, and Lawrence had one sack.

Parsons, 25, was selected a first-team All-Pro in two of his previous three NFL seasons and averaged 13.5 sacks per year.

Lawrence, 32, is a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He has 61.5 career sacks in 141 NFL games.

–Field Level Media

Sep 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) injured in the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Cowboys’ Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence headed for MRIs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Dallas Cowboys were awaiting word on two defensive stalwarts who got injured in their 20-15 win over the New York Giants on Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J.

Linebacker Micah Parsons hurt his left ankle in the fourth quarter. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence injured his right foot in the third quarter. Both will undergo MRI exams on Friday.

Parsons said postgame that X-rays on his ankle were negative. He added, according to ESPN, “Right now, I just iced it. I know very little. I’ve got an MRI (scheduled for Friday), and I’m going to try to get back next week.”

The Athletic reported that Parsons was limping in the locker room but that he told Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, “I’ll be good.”

Parsons got hurt with 3:30 left as he was being blocked low by guard Greg Van Roten and high by center John Michael Schmitz Jr. Van Roten appeared to come down on the back of Parsons’ foot.

Lawrence said X-rays on his foot were negative, though he also is headed for an MRI exam, as well. He said, according to Yahoo Sports, “I’ll be back in no time.”

Both Parsons and Lawrence had two tackles and Monday, and Lawrence had a sack.

Parsons, 25, was selected a first-team All-Pro in two of his previous three NFL seasons, when he averaged 13.5 sacks per year.

Lawrence, 32, is a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He has 61.5 career sacks in 141 NFL games.

–Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and linebacker Micah Parsons (11) during training camp at Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge playing fields. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys VP Stephen Jones ‘holding money back’ to re-sign big-ticket stars

Posted on | by Field Level Media

All-in can be relative, or at least the meaning applies in different ways according to Cowboys senior vice president Stephen Jones.

From Jones’ front office seat, he still views the Cowboys as all-in for 2024 despite passive spending in free agency, Jones said in a radio interview with 105.3 FM The Fan on Tuesday.

“We spend max, max money year in and year out. All 32 can only spend the same amount of money over a five-year stretch,” Jones said. “When we’re all said and done, we max out our salary cap every year. We will have done that. What comes with having a good roster, which we do, we’re also looking towards signing our own guys.

“It doesn’t mean it happens overnight. But when you’re wanting to sign players like Dak (Prescott) and Micah (Parsons) and CeeDee (Lamb), then you have to hold money back if you want to have a realistic chance of signing those guys.”

Prescott is entering the final year of a four-year, $160 million contract. His deal could be the most pressing because of the paved exit the terms of the deal would provide the 30-year-old.

Lamb is an option for the franchise tag next spring after he plays the 2024 season on a fifth-year option. But after setting a franchise record for receptions in an All-Pro season, Lamb plans to skip voluntary workouts as the market value for wide receivers continues to climb.

Waiting might not help in the case of Parsons, either. He’s under contract for 2024 and the Cowboys hold a team option for his fifth season in 2025.

But the new rate for high-end pass rushers was reset in offseason deals for Brian Burns (five years, $87.5 million guaranteed, $141.5 million with the New York Giants) and Josh Allen (five years, $141.25 million, up to $88 million guaranteed).

Owner Jerry Jones said at the NFL owners meetings in March that Prescott’s contract would be discussed with the understanding that the size of deals for Super Bowl-capable quarterbacks will impact the team’s salary cap for the next “five years.”

Reading between the lines, the Cowboys are likely to ask Prescott to carry more weight with less proven talent around him.

As for Stephen Jones, he still sees the franchise as being all-in on 2024.

“Everybody has their own definition of what that means, but I’ve never not known us to be all-in, nor have I known anyone we compete against not to be all-in,” he said.

–Field Level Media

Jul 31, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and chief operating officer Stephen Jones (left) during training camp at the Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge playing fields. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones says he understands fans frustration

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Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged that the team’s front office is “very aware” of the club’s frustrated fan base after little splash was made during free agency.

Sure, the Cowboys added veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks on a one-year agreement on Wednesday, however the fans expected more — especially after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said earlier this offseason that he planned to go “all in.”

And “all in” didn’t include signing two-time rushing champion Derrick Henry, who told Mad Dog Sports Radio that the Cowboys didn’t even reach out to him. That comes on the heels of seeing Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia) and Aaron Jones (Minnesota) — who lives in Dallas during the offseason — land with other teams while the Cowboys saw fellow running back Tony Pollard join the Tennessee Titans.

“Everybody certainly has that right (to be frustrated),” Stephen Jones said Thursday, via The Athletic. “I know where the frustration is, it’s the fact that we haven’t had success in the playoffs to their satisfaction. Until we do that, then the criticism is certainly something that’s going to be there. We know that’s going to be there, but we’re going to stick with what we believe will ultimately get us a championship here for our fans. We don’t define ‘all in’ by what you spend in free agency. It’s keeping the core (together).”

Dallas has little cap space to work with. The Cowboys also have quarterback Dak Prescott seeking a contract extension and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Micah Parsons in line for large deals.

“It’s not frustrating because it means we’ve done a good job with the draft,” Stephen Jones said when asked about seeing big-name free agents land elsewhere. “That’s just a sign, in my mind, that our organization, Will (McClay) and the scouting department, the coaches, we’ve done our job in terms of developing players. It’s a great thing when you have Micah and CeeDee and the Dak (contract) challenge ahead of us, in terms of getting them under the cap. We’re certainly all in on getting that done.

“When you want to keep your players that you’ve developed and worked so hard to get … then you’re not going to be able to go out and chase those (high-dollar free agent) guys. … The way I look at things, I’ve always said it, player acquisition is 365 days a year. It’s not just the first or second or third day of free agency.”

Prescott, 30, is entering his ninth season and the final campaign of a four-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2021. Prescott’s salary-cap figure in 2024 is $59.5 million and the Cowboys reportedly have held preliminary discussions regarding a long-term extension.

Nine quarterbacks have signed contracts with higher total values since Prescott and the Cowboys completed their existing agreement.

Lamb, 24, heads into the 2024 season on the last season of his contract thanks to a fifth-year option.

However, after a season in which he set franchise records for receptions (135) and receiving yards (1,749), Lamb is expected to seek a significant increase from his $17.9 million fifth-year salary. That would bring him more in line with the annual salaries of other wide receivers in the league like Miami’s Tyreek Hill ($30 million) and Las Vegas’ Davante Adams ($28 million).

Parsons, 24, also has the numbers to earn a raise, having earned Pro Bowl team and All-Pro nods in each of his first three seasons. Selected by the Cowboys with the 12th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Parsons has one year left on his rookie deal, with this offseason being the first opportunity to extend his deal.

Parsons had 14.0 sacks to lead the Cowboys in 2023. He has a career total of 40.5 sacks in 50 games, all starts.

–Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) celebrates a sack of Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (not pictured) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys LB Micah Parsons (illness) misses practice

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons missed Tuesday’s practice due to illness ahead of the Thursday night matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

Parsons and defensive end Dante Fowler were both listed on the injury report as “DNP” due to illness.

Television cameras caught Parsons vomiting twice on the sideline during the Thanksgiving Day win over the Washington Commanders, but Parsons said that was due to ingesting energy and hydration powder before the game.

“I got some water to help put it down. By the fifth play it felt like my heart was gonna jump outta my chest. I felt like I was about to explode. I’m never doing that (stuff) again,” the 24-year-old said postgame.

Parsons has 11.5 sacks to lead the Cowboys and ranks first in the NFL with 71 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He was a first-team All-Pro in each of his first two NFL seasons.

–Field Level Media

Nov 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys not sweating Micah Parsons’ absence, position

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Preparing to convert from linebacker and hybrid pass rusher to a base defensive end role, Micah Parsons is a no-show at voluntary workouts with the Dallas Cowboys this month.

But vice president Stephen Jones said there is no percolating drama in Dallas, rather the team honored a request from Parsons to work out on his own in Austin, Texas.

“Yeah, we’re comfortable with that. That’s not unlike a lot of guys,” Jones said. “Some guys get more attention for it than others. Obviously, historically, the majority of our team likes to work here. They live here, and they like to work here. But understand completely if Micah’s looking to get a little extra help. We’ve had players do that throughout the time we’ve been here.”

Parsons said at the end of the season he wanted to make the move to defensive end, but felt light encountering bigger, heavier blockers.

“It’s hard battling 300-pound guys at 255 pounds every week,” Parsons said.

Jones did not commit to Parsons making the move to defensive end, but the snap counts from 2022 show he’s essentially already a down lineman. Parsons logged 738 snaps on the defensive line and less than 175 at linebacker.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said flatly that the Cowboys aren’t moving Parsons from linebacker and intimated the focus this offseason isn’t on weight gain for Parsons.

“If you ever need position changes, come to me. What I think he was probably trying to say is, ‘I’m really emphasizing some pass rush into my offseason,’” Quinn said.

–Field Level Media

Dec 5, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; NFL wide receiver free agent Odell Beckham Jr. (black jacket) after the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Odell Beckham Jr.: ‘I don’t see the point’ in regular-season return

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. shed light on what stokes his fire while speaking on Prime Video’s “TNF in the Shop” for Thursday Night Football.

Beckham has been on a very public search for a new team. The three-time Pro Bowl selection has recently visited Dallas (9-3), Buffalo (9-3) and the New York Giants (7-4-1).

“I haven’t made a decision, and for me, I would like to be in a stable environment, get up at 6 a.m., leave at 6 p.m. for four weeks, and then let’s talk about it,” Beckham said. “I’ve played football for a long time. I’m not saying that I couldn’t step in and play regular season, but I don’t see the point. I really don’t. I would rather play when the pressure is on.”

ESPN reported the Cowboys doubt Beckham is completely recovered from the torn left ACL he sustained in Super Bowl LVI after the 30-year-old wide receiver met with team physicians on Monday. According to the report, the concern regards whether Beckham would be available to play before mid-January, or perhaps not until the 2023 season.

On his weekly radio show with 105.3 FM in Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he is “not confident at all” about signing Beckham until he sees him work out.

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons said Wednesday that Beckham told him he could be ready to play in five weeks, which would put on track to play during the wild-card round of the playoffs.

Beckham has 531 career catches for 7,367 yards and 56 touchdowns in 96 games (91 starts) with the Giants (2014-18), Cleveland Browns (2019-21) and Los Angeles Rams (2021).

–Field Level Media

Nov 20, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) celebrates during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence, LB Micah Parsons to play vs. Giants

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will play Thursday on a broken foot, and linebacker Micah Parsons plans to push through multiple injuries to join him on Dallas’ dominant front on Thanksgiving Day against the Giants.

Lawrence has a screw inserted in his previously broken foot but a second fracture was detected and is causing him “real pain.” But Lawrence doesn’t want to be shut down and had three of his six season sacks in the first meeting with New York, a 23-16 win in Week 3.

Parsons is dealing with an achy knee but didn’t have an MRI this week.

The Cowboys are on a record pace with 42 sacks through 10 games and recorded five sacks of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the September victory at MetLife Stadium. Parsons has 10 sacks.

Dallas is running without multiple defensive linemen Thursday due to illness.

Parsons and Lawrence participating is crucial for the Cowboys, considering the Giants are likely to start at least two offensive linemen who haven’t been in the first unit yet this season.

Offensive tackle Evan Neal (knee) didn’t make the trip and left tackle Andrew Thomas (illness) is questionable.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys star LB Micah Parsons (illness) misses practice

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons missed Thursday’s practice due to an illness.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told the team website that Parsons tested negative for both COVID-19 and the flu.

“He does have the kind of symptoms that were best for him not to practice,” Jones said. “Don’t look for that to be a factor against the Giants. That’s my information.”

Dallas certainly wants to see Parsons on the field when the Cowboys visit the New York Giants on Sunday. He is tied for the NFL lead with four sacks and has recorded 17 in just 18 career games.

Star cornerback Trevon Diggs missed the session after being excused due to a personal matter.

Tight end Dalton Schultz (sprained right knee) missed practice as expected. He was hurt in Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Others who missed practice were safety Jayron Kearse (knee) and guard Connor McGovern (ankle).

–Field Level Media

Jaguars No. 1 draft pick Trevor Lawrence appears at Friday afternoon's press conference at TIAA Bank Field.Jki 043021 Trevorlawrencea 7

Trevor Lawrence, Micah Parsons installed as ROY favorites

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been installed as the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite after being selected with the top overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lawrence is being offered at +300 by DraftKings and +270 by FanDuel ahead of Justin Fields (+400, +550), who was selected by the Chicago Bears. While Lawrence is expected to start from Day 1 in Jacksonville, the Bears have veterans Andy Dalton and Nick Foles on the roster if Fields needs some time to acclimate to the NFL.

It’s a similar situation for San Francisco 49ers pick Trey Lance, who is being offered at +700 by both sportsbooks. The North Dakota State quarterback is expected to be groomed for at least most of next season behind Jimmy Garoppolo.

Quarterbacks dominate the Offensive ROY odds, with the New York Jets’ Zach Wilson being offered at +850 by DraftKings and +1000 by FanDuel.

The top-non QBs at DraftKings are Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, who are both listed at +1100. Pitts is +1300 and Chase is +1500 at FanDuel, both behind New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones at +950.

New Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is the early Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite at +400 at DraftKings and +550 at FanDuel. The odds at the sportsbooks diverge from there.

Pass rusher Jaelan Phillips (Miami Dolphins) is listed at +700 by DraftKings ahead of defensive end Kwity Paye (Indianapolis Colts) and cornerback Patrick Surtain II (Denver Broncos) at +1000. Paye is being offered at +750 at FanDuel along with Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, ahead of Phillips (+900) and Surtain (+1100).

–Field Level Media