Even in the case where it directly benefits himself and his team, Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons refuses to support the Philadelphia Eagles.
In this particular case, Parsons, a 3-time NFL All-Pro outside linebacker, would rather see the Eagles lose to the Washington Commanders in Week 16 than see his own team keep their postseason hopes alive — the Cowboys are eliminated from the playoffs with either a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or a win by the Commanders.
“Nah, at this point, it’s (expletive) Philly, now,” Parsons told The Athletic’s Jon Machota on December 19. “Even if we got eliminated, like, I gotta crush Philly. (Expletive) them. I hate them now. I be seeing them talk so much on social (media).”
While it might seem bizarre for a player to openly root for something that would hurt his own team, it could be Parsons has just given up on the Cowboys’ playoff hopes — according to NFL.com, Dallas has just a 1 percent chance of clinching 1 of the 4 remaining NFC playoff spots.
The Cowboys travel to face the Eagles in Week 17. Philadelphia won their first regular-season matchup, 34-6 in Week 10, which was Parsons’ first game back after missing 4 games with a high ankle sprain.
Parsons Praised Commanders Rookie QB
Another possibility could be that Parsons is just a huge fan of Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who he took time to praise on his weekly podcast following the Cowboys’ upset win over Washington in Week 12.
“Jayden Daniels is nice as heck … like I knew he was good but I didn’t know he was that good,” Parsons said on November 27. “Film doesn’t really explain how good he is. I said this to him in the game, I said … ‘I think you can be unstoppable.’
“… He’s as fast as Lamar (Jackson). I don’t think he’s as shifty, but he’s fast-fast. He’s up there with like Jalen Hurts, Kyler (Murray), Lamar. His game speed is serious. I don’t want to underestimate that … I think he can be a special quarterback on a really, really high level.”
The Commanders are 9-5 and in the final NFC playoff spot — they face the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Week 18 to close out the regular season.
Parsons Having Season to Forget in 2024
Parsons also might just want this season to be over as soon as possible.
The Cowboys lost 5 consecutive games to drop to 3-7 before bouncing back to win 3 of their last 4 games and star quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9.
The year has been marked by more internal discord than anything — a large helping of which has come from Parsons, who went out of his way to throw embattled Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy under the bus after the loss to the Eagles on November 10.
“You know that’s above my paygrade on if Mike is coaching again next year … Mike can leave and go wherever he wants but (the) guys I kind of feel bad for — guys like Zack Martin,” Parsons said. “Guys who might be in their last year on their way out, you know, because that’s who I wanted to hold the trophy for. You want to win games and do great things with those type of legends who put in more time and work (than) Mike McCarthy ever did. So, those are the kind of guys that I have so much sympathy and hurt for.”
