The Dallas Cowboys are prepping for the 2023 season. And per usual, the expectations are high, and the team will be out to prove doubters wrong and finally reach an NFC conference championship game and Super Bowl, something they haven’t done since the 1995 season.
One key reason why the Boys are considered serious contenders is the play of third-year do-it-all defender Micah Parsons, who’s been an elite defender in his first two seasons in the NFL.
Micah Parsons Wants To Be An All-Time Great
As he heads into year three, Parsons has set some lofty goals for his career. And one of those goals is to not just be a Hall of Famer, but to be one of the all-time greats. While that’s the attitude any coach would want his players to have, they also want said player to be able to save some of his practice energy for the game.
Per reports, that’s where Parsons and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy are in 2023.
McCarthy Wants Parsons To Follow Practice Etiquette
In the NFL, hitting the QB in practice is arguably the biggest no-no in the sport. But for some reason Parsons isn’t getting it and it’s reportedly causing some friction on the practice field. Following a recent practice, a pretty peeved McCarthy sounded off on his star defender.
“In Micah’s case, we have practice ethics, rules, and structure to our drills,”McCarthy said Thursday. “We go through these spots all the time: you don’t hit the quarterback. The quarterback hasn’t been hit in practice in my 30 years as an NFL coach that I can recall. That’s all part of working together, having discipline in your rush lane, discipline in you pass-protection unit, and this is why you have camp. We have a tremendous amount of work to do in the area of technique and fundamentals. Oh yeah, we’ve talked about that a number of times. That’s all part of the practice plan. He is a No. 1 violator right now.”
McCarthy is correct, an unnecessary hit to Dak Prescott or any other QB could lead to a season-ending injury.
Parsons Says He’s Pushing Himself
In response to his head coach’s concerns, Parsons sounded like someone who knows he’s doing things he shouldn’t. But, at the same time his saying he’s challenging himself and pushing himself to the limits also sounds as if he’s not letting anything stop him from working to get better.
Great mindset for one of the game’s best, but he must taper that aggression a bit in practice. It’s unlikely, but no need to risk a freak practice injury occurring.
