After Thursday’s comments from Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus caught the eye of former Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, Parsons defended his reaction to Eberflus linking the team’s defensive performance to the sudden departure of Parsons via late August trade.
“Y’all want me to feel bad?” Parsons posted on Twitter. “Jerry Jones slandered my name to Cowboys media and national media for months. So I do think I can react to comment if I want to!”
In his usual Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones addressed Parsons’s remarks.
“I wish Micah the very best,” Jones said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “I’d love to have Micah on the team. But we just couldn’t afford him. We wanted four or five players more than we did him. But he’s outstanding. I understand his sensitivity and can even understand these comments.”
They say business isn’t personal. But the Parsons business became personal, once Parsons refused to reduce to writing the deal he supposedly agreed to in direct conversations with Jones. In turn, Jones refused to negotiate with Parsons’s agent, David Mulugheta.
The Cowboys, in our view, had banked on Parsons playing under his fifth-year option, kicking the can to 2026 for a possible franchise-tag dance. When it became clear that Parsons would refuse to practice or play due to a back injury, the Cowboys decided to get what they could for Parsons, in lieu of paying him a market-level deal that would have been much more expensive than the fifth-year option now and the franchise tag later.
Along the way, things were said. Feathers were ruffled. That’s how Jones, first, tried to get what he wanted and, second, played the P.R. game when it became clear that the only move was to move on from Parsons.
More than two months after the trade happened, Jones took a clear shot at Parsons while praising former Cowboys Michael Irvin and DeMarcus Ware.
“Not one time, not even in the hottest of days and two-a-days in August in Texas, between eleven in the morning or when they quit practicing or four in the afternoon, did I never see any one of these two go over and lay on a damn training table in front of a million people,” Jones said. “Never. It’s not in their makeup. . . . It’s just not in their makeup. . .
“And you’d like to think if you’re going to be [paying] the highest that’s ever been paid for something in football, you could get that. And when you don’t have it and you pay the highest that’s ever been in football, you really got a problem.”
Jones was still trying to justify trading Parsons. And, yes, that included slandering his name by suggesting that Parsons isn’t worthy to be the highest-paid defensive player in football, tying it to the fact that he was taking a stand to get the contract Jones refused to give him.
For Parsons, it’s understandably personal. For Jones, it’s all business. And his business interests required him to make it personal with Parsons. Which explains why Jones isn’t bothered by Parsons’s natural reaction to Jerry’s tactics.
Still, the message to other players should be obvious. Starting with receiver George Pickens.
If you don’t do what Jerry wants you to do, he’ll eventually slander your name, too.
Sunday may be Matt Eberflus’ last game as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator and his press conference on Thursday focused on what went wrong on that side of the ball this season.
Eberflus said that “ownership and accountability is right with me” for a season that’s seen the Cowboys allow the most points in the league while ranking near the bottom of the league in most key defensive metrics. The group Eberflus had to work with was shaken up shortly before the season when Micah Parsons was traded to the Packers and Eberflus was asked how much that changed things for the team.
“I don’t know if it changed that much,” Eberflus said. “Obviously you have an All-Pro pass rusher that wins really quick, that’s certainly going to help any defense if it’s Micah or if it’s Myles [Garrett] or whoever it might be. That impact player is always going to help to a certain degree on pass downs and other downs. Again, you can’t look back. It is what it is and you just focus on where you are.”
A tweet featuring those comments caught Parsons’ eye on Thursday and it’s hard to argue that the move impacted the way the defense performed over the course of the season. It’s also hard to argue that looking back on what could have been is of little value to Eberflus or the Cowboys based on how things have actually played out.
Next year’s defensive coordinator won’t have the Parsons issue hanging over their head and they’ll need to do a better job with any pieces on hand in order for the Cowboys to make it back to the postseason.
Packers defensive end Micah Parsons will be having surgery on his torn ACL on Monday.
Parsons posted a snapshot of himself in a hospital gown to his Instagram story on Monday morning with the caption “see y’all soon, love y’all.” He tore his ACL in the team’s Week 15 loss to the Broncos.
The Packers have also lost their last two games and have struggled defensively without the help of Parsons coming off the edge of the defensive line. That will make his full recovery an important part of the team’s offseason.
Surgery is a significant first step, but that rehab process is expected to run into the summer and it will be some time before there’s a concrete timeline for Parsons’ return to full football activities.
We have three weeks remaining in the NFL’s regular season and it’s really starting to heat up! The Chiefs have been eliminated from the playoffs, the Steelers are in first place of the AFC North, Seattle stole the No. 1 seed in the NFC from Los Angeles on Thursday Night Football, and that’s just a small sliver of the action. Here are my five best bets for the Week 16 slate.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NFL schedule!
Packers at Bears (-1.5): O/U 46.5
The Packers are beat up and that’s bad news going to Chicago on Saturday night to take on a Bears team that wants revenge from two weeks ago. Chicago had a chance to win the first meeting, but soiled it in the final moments with an interception, but nonetheless, it was neck-and-neck.
The second meeting should be more of the same, but in Chicago’s favor. Green Bay’s defense has performed differently on the road with 2.60 points per drive allowed (27th) versus 1.59 per drive at home (7th). That should be a problem versus a Chicago team that is top five in a lot of advanced rushing metrics lately, including success rate, which they rank first in since Week 5.
Multiple lineman and receivers could miss for Green Bay, plus Micah Parsons on defense. Chicago isn’t healthy at wide receiver, but it hasn’t mattemicar lately with their stellar offensive line play and no Parsons on the other side. I like Chicago on the ML at -125 odds.
Pick: Bears ML (1.5 units)
Josh Allen O/U 0.5 Interceptions vs Browns
With Matthew Stafford and the Rams losing, plus the Patriots being road underdogs in Baltimore this weekend, Josh Allen has a real chance at stealing this award, and luckily, he faces the Browns this week. All he has to do is be himself and not try to do too much as the Bills are -10.5 point favorites.
Cleveland has one interception in the last four games, and it came against Cam Ward. Allen will have a clean sheet here and go under his juiced interceptions line (-154). While Allen’s 10 interceptions on the year aren’t ideal, six of them came during a four-game stretch and he’s had zero in the past two games along with seven total touchdowns.
Pick: Josh Allen Under 0.5 Interceptions (Risk 2 units)
Travis Etienne O/U 60.5 Rushing Yards vs Broncos
The Jaguars go to the Mile High City to take on the Broncos, and that presents challenges for Travis Etienne. Not only is Denver 11th in EPA per rush, but they also have the best third-down defense and elite pressure rates. Etienne played 65.5% of snaps versus the Jets last week, his fourth-highest of the season, and 75.4% the week prior against the Colts, but both were in run-heavy spots. This is not that.
Besides, Jacksonville’s passing game has really taken off since the bye week, especially downfield with splash plays. The Jaguars will need the passing game from the start if they want to beat Denver. Not rely on the ground and pound game with Etienne. Go Under his 60.5 rushing yards (-114) in Denver down to 56.5. He is 7-7 on the season to this number.
Pick: Travis Etienne Under 60.5 Rushing Yards (1 unit)
David Montgomery Anytime TD vs Steelers
David Montgomery is a on season-long three-game touchdown streak as he’s reached the end zone against the Packers, Cowboys, and Rams in that stretch. Now, Montgomery takes on a Steelers defense coming off two straight wins and a dominant showing against Miami.
With a game total of 52.5, the highest of the week, and a team total of 30.5, also the largest, I think Montgomery’s odds should be heavier than -105. Six of the last eight teams have recorded a rushing touchdown against the Steelers, so I will take a swing on the Lions complimentary back to find the end zone for a fourth-straight game. He and Jaymyr Gibbs could both score like the good old days for Detroit.
Pick: David Montgomery Anytime TD (1 unit)
Philip Rivers O/U 0.5 Passing Touchdowns vs 49ers
Philip Rivers almost pulled the rabbit out of a hand in a two-point loss versus Seattle, but his defense let him down. Rivers tossed 120 yards on 18-of-27 and had one touchdown and one interception. His passing yards prop has raised from 151.5 to 157.5, which draws a little pause for me, but I think there is value on Rivers to not throw a touchdown.
I bet Rivers to go Under 0.5 passing touchdowns last week and he had one red zone throw — an eight-yard touchdown. Go figure, right? Well, at +168 odds, I will absolutely run it back and take another shot on Rivers to go Under 0.5 touchdowns.
Pick: Philip Rivers Under 0.5 Touchdowns (1 unit)
Season Record: 114-84-1 (58%) +22.36 units | 9.49 ROI%
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Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is confident that Micah Parsons is going to make a full recovery from the torn ACL that he suffered last weekend.
Hafley said on Wednesday that he believes Parsons “comes back even better and probably breaks the sack record next year.” That would make for quite a story, but it wouldn’t do anything to help the Packers’ chances of making a playoff run despite Parsons’ absence and Hafley’s job is to make sure that the defense doesn’t fall apart without its star defensive end.
Hafley shared the message he’s sending as the team prepares to face the Bears on Saturday.
“I told them you can’t let circumstances dictate behavior,” Hafley said, via Matt Schneidman of TheAthletic.com. “A week ago, we’re in here after we beat the Bears, and we’re all walking in here all upbeat and ready to roll. I said, ‘Shame on you if you walk in here any different today.’ That’s not who we are. That’s our job as leaders and coaches, to make sure that we don’t do that. We’ve got really good players. We’ve played good defense, and we’re going to continue to play good defense. Our guys understand that, and I think it’s important for everyone to understand that these guys have a lot of pride and they’re going to get even closer because of this. And they’re going to play well.”
Parsons was not a one-man band on defense in Green Bay, but his presence did draw a lot of attention from opposing offenses and create opportunities for others while he was being double- or triple-teamed. That won’t be part of the landscape on Saturday in Chicago or at any other point this season, which leaves Hafley and the Packers with a lot to figure out on the fly.
The Packers placed edge rusher Micah Parsons on injured reserve on Wednesday, the team announced.
The four-time Pro Bowler tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos. He will undergo season-ending surgery.
He faces a prognosis of at least the next nine months in rehab.
Parsons injured his knee on a non-contact play late in the third quarter, trying to change directions while chasing quarterback Bo Nix.
In 14 games this season, Parsons registered 12.5 sacks with 12 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
He has missed only five games in his career, with one of his absences because of a positive COVID test.
The NFL’s offseason and preseason featured an ugly and contentious confrontation between Cowboys owner/G.M. Jerry Jones and former Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons. The situation ended in the shocking trade to the Packers, and the sniping from both men continued for weeks thereafter.
With Parsons suffering a season-ending ACL tear on Sunday, Jones has opted to be far more charitable in his expression of sympathy than at least one other high-profile person has opted to be this week regarding an unrelated tragedy.
“I’m sad for Micah,” Jones said Tuesday morning on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “That’s quite a challenge. I wish him the very best on his recovery. Michael Irvin said when he had his [ACL] surgery during, I think, his second year with the Cowboys, he said he realized what football really did mean to him. And he said the surgery really launched him into the best part of his career, because he got to feel what it might look like not to play again. There’s a lot of ways you can couch this thing. But, Micah, I wish you the very best.”
Whether Jerry truly means it doesn’t matter. He said it. At a time when some folks can’t even muster the ability to suppress their own personally-held poisonous beliefs, it’s nice to see someone choose to say the right and honorable thing.
As the Packers believed in the aftermath of the non-contact injury, linebacker Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL during Sunday’s game against the Broncos.
Parsons has posted a message on social media regarding the development.
“I may be sidelined, but I am not defeated,” Parsons said on Twitter. “This injury is my greatest test — a moment God allowed to strengthen my testimony. I believe He walks with me through this storm and chose me for this fight because He knew my heart could carry it. I’m deeply grateful to the Packers organization and my teammates for their unwavering support, love, and belief in me during this season. I trust His timing, His plan, and His purpose. I will rise again.”
The road is never easy for a player who has suffered a torn ACL. It begins with surgery and recovery. It continues with a rigorous rehab process. It requires work, patience, and determination.
Parsons is embracing the challenge. And he’ll surely do everything in his power to be back for 2026.
The injury also underscores the importance of high-level players to insist on contracts that shift the injury risk to the team. If Parsons had torn his ACL while playing under his fifth-year option in Dallas, he would have had no financial security from his contract.
His compensation, if any, would have come from an expensive insurance policy aimed at recovering the loss of value arising from the difference between the contract he could have gotten if healthy and the contract he would have gotten after suffering an injury that will make teams leery about paying market value. Those policies are very expensive, and the insurance companies have a reputation for not being overly eager about paying the money.
The best security comes from a fair contract. Parsons got it from the Packers. Which allows him to focus on getting himself healthy without having to give a moment of thought to his compensation.
The Packers’ fear has been confirmed.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, an MRI confirmed that star defender Micah Parsons has, in fact, suffered a torn ACL.
He faces a recovery time of at least the next nine months.
Parsons went down on a non-contact play late in the third quarter of Sunday’s eventual loss to the Broncos. Parsons was trying to change directions while chasing quarterback Bo Nix.
Parsons’ injury brings his first season with the Packers to a premature close. In his 14 games with Green Bay this year, Parsons registered 12.5 sacks with 12 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles.
PFT reported that the initial diagnosis of Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons’ left knee revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Coach Matt LaFleur didn’t confirm the bad news after Sunday’s 34-26 loss to the Broncos, but what he did say gives Packers fans no hope of a different diagnosis.
“It doesn’t look good. I’ll leave it at that,” LaFleur said.
Parsons will undergo an MRI on Monday to confirm.
He was injured on a non-contact play with 44 seconds in the third quarter when he tried to change directions while chasing Bo Nix.
Packers receiver Christian Watson was ruled out with a chest injury and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
LaFleur called it a “double whammy,” losing key players as well as the game.
“You don’t wish that on anybody,” LaFleur said. “It’s obviously tough. We all know what kind of player he is, and the impact he’s had on our football team. To lose someone like that, it’s tough. But no one is going to feel sorry for us. We need to find a way. Guys have to rally around each other.”
