FRISCO, Texas — Micah Parsons thought he was having a good, reasoned conversation with Von Miller on the veteran’s podcast.
He had no idea it would plunge him into another controversy.
The topic: is Most Valuable Player reserved solely for quarterbacks or can other positions get in on the award? In pointing out how good the Philadelphia defense is playing this season, some took that as a slight on quarterback Jalen Hurts and his bid for MVP.
Let’s say Eagles fans didn’t appreciate what the Cowboys’ pass rusher had to say.
“I’m sure they hate me,” Parsons said.
“I’ll always, I mean, you’ve got to stand on everything you say just as a man. Obviously, they small-clipped it and took one line of what was really talked about.
“No disrespect to Hurts. I think he’s doing great this year. But you know me. I’m a defensive guy, and I said the Eagles’ defense is the team to watch."
This isn’t the first time Parsons has suggested a position other than quarterback should be considered for MVP. And remember, he’s a defensive player. He knows how offensive players usually get the credit and just wants to balance the scales.
“It’s nothing towards no quarterbacks or anything like that," Parsons said. “It’s about Most Valuable Player and what people bring to their team. That’s what the conversation was about.
“That’s where I stand on it."
Parsons said fans sometimes forget that football is complementary. That was his point, not taking swipes at a quarterback he will try to sack next week on Christmas Eve. He concedes quarterback and cornerback are probably the two toughest positions to play in the NFL. He just wanted to highlight the Eagles’ defense.
Expect this to resurface when the Cowboys and Eagles go at it in Week 15. But the focus for Dallas at the moment is Jacksonville.
“I’ve got to focus on Trevor Lawrence," Parsons said of the Jaguars quarterback. “How do I get to Trevor Lawrence when he’s coming together? He’s a hell of a player and what they bring. That’s where my focus is.
“I was just having a good conversation with Von, a person I look up to, helped him on his podcast and the next thing I know it’s a s--- storm. You see how that goes. We were just talking football. Not once did I ever disrespect Hurts or any other player in any way …
“I mean, you guys [media] get to talk s--- all day. Why can’t we talk a little chatter?”
One week ago, Parsons found himself in the middle of a geopolitical storm on Twitter regarding the prisoner swap between the United States and Russia involving WNBA star Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Has he given any thought to keeping his thoughts to himself after the blowback he’s gotten in the last week to 10 days?
“Just be yourself," Parsons said. “I mean, I’m going to be me. I’ve been the same person since I got here, before I got here.
“I feel like the moment I stop being myself, I’m changing for the culture. So I’m just going to stand on what I do, stand on what I say and just be me."
