Micah Parsons floated a hypothetical scenario where he would return ‘home’ to the Pittsburgh Steelers due to Mike Tomlin.
So, Micah Parsons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, huh? The star Dallas Cowboys edge rusher, who skipped OTAs, returned for the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and discussed his impending contract situation. He aims to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, usurping Justin Jefferson, but will it be in Dallas? Yes, and Parsons does not intend to bounce around the NFL.
Talking with reporters, Parsons said he wants to remain a Cowboy, but if he left the team to ‘go home,’ he would head to the Steelers, not the Philadelphia Eagles, due to Mike Tomlin. Parsons added ‘hypothetically’ to that statement, according to Clarence Hill, meaning that he does expect that to come to fruition. But if there was a scenario where he would leave the Cowboys, it seems the Steelers would be that team.
There is no question about Parsons’ talent. He is one of the best edge rushers in the NFL and can be argued as the best in the league. His pressure rate and traditional stats align, and with his versatility to play off the edge or off-ball, he gives whichever defensive coordinator has him at their disposal an incredible opportunity to dial up exotic blitzes.
The beauty of having someone like Parsons or T.J. Watt is that there is little doubt they will not win their one-on-one matchups. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin can scheme up one-on-ones for Watt by utilizing five-man surfaces, which allows him to work against the tackle in front of him. Micah Parsons is the same way with how dominant he is on the field.
Parsons, 25, played at Penn State and is from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which is about three and a half hours from Pittsburgh. It is much closer to Philadelphia, which makes the statement about the Eagles a bit eyebrow-raising, but Parsons is drawn to the idea of playing for Tomlin. That is not a unique sentiment, but one that multiple players have echoed throughout the years, and last season, when he was speculated to be leaving the Steelers potentially, his players staunchly defended him.
It is a continuation of that. Regardless, Parsons is set to get more than $35 million per year. While the Steelers have no set quarterback who could accommodate that, it seems far likelier that Parsons gets his megadeal from the Cowboys and sticks it out with America’s Team.
