Two of the Dallas Cowboys starting defenders are at odds after Malik Hooker and Micah Parsons both talked about each other’s podcasting. Parsons is known for his loud and honest personality, but Hooker was the one to criticize first.
Hooker appeared on NFL legend Keyshawn Johnson’s All Facts No Breaks podcast on June 28. During the podcast, Hooker spoke honestly about Parsons’ podcasting and how he believes it is a distraction.
“My advice for Micah would be just make sure we’re alright,” Hooker said. “Because if we’re at work and and the run game’s terrible but you’re doing a podcast every week and you know the run game is terrible then what are you really caring about? Are you caring about the crowd that was watching the podcast or are you caring about the success of our team and the Super Bowl that we’re trying to reach?”
While some may think it’s a valid comment, saying it in such a public way is bound to create controversy. And as one might expect, the Cowboys star did not waste much time in terms of formulating a response.
Parsons’ Podcast and Response
Most of Parsons’ in-season and offseason comments come via his podcast The Edge. But to respond to his Dallas teammate, Parsons hopped on X to quickly address the issue.
“Just wish you said this to me but instead on some podcast! And you got my number family! @MalikHooker24 and you my locker mate!” Parsons said in a since-deleted post. “So you coulda said this any day! And you do realize I shoot the podcast on our off day! I why ain’t we talking about everyone preparations and focus.”
The fact that Parsons has deleted the post probably means that the two have probably began to address the issue. It’s never encouraging to see two teammates fight, but there are silver linings.
For one, there’s still two months until the regular season. There’s time for the beef to be handled. But if it isn’t, it’s going to create an interesting dilemma for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and the front office.
Cowboys Star Pondering New Contract
While Hooker is a talented player, Parsons has become the focal point of the Cowboys defense. As the team’s leading pass rusher, he is about to command a massive contract. There is a very real chance that he will become the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL.
But for now, Parsons seems to be content playing on the fourth year of his rookie contract rather than worry about a new deal.
“One day,” Parsons said on June 4. “Time will tell. I can’t really put a timetable on mine. All I gotta do is keep getting sacks and that stuff will handle itself.”
The Cowboys have already activated the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. During the 2024 season, Parsons will count as a $5.4 million cap hit for Dallas and make $3 million in salary. However, his fifth-year option will see him get a sizable raise as the 25-year-old will earn a $21.3 million salary.
