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Sports Illustrated
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Tim Capurso

Micah Parsons Brushes Off ‘Ridiculous’ Criticism From DeMarcus Lawrence

Parsons and Lawrence on the field during a Cowboys practice. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It took nearly two weeks, but Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl outside linebacker Micah Parsons responded to criticisms from his former teammate DeMarcus Lawrence. Lawrence, after signing with the Seattle Seahawks, shaded the Cowboys and started a social media feud with Parsons when he called Dallas his "home" but acknowledged he knew "for sure" he'd never win a Super Bowl with his former club.

Parsons took to X and fired back at Lawrence, calling him a "clown." Then, Lawrence took a shot at Parsons's off-field endeavors, suggesting that the All-Pro pass rusher spends too much time tweeting and not enough time winning games.

Parsons, in a story with longtime Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill, brushed aside the "ridiculous" notion that his off-field pursuits affect his focus and production on the field.

"I think it's ridiculous," Parsons said. "You watch the tape. There's no question I'm locked in. I'm giving my actual best effort out there on the field, which I think that's all that matters. I have an obligation to be the leader of my family, to take care of my family, and that's to provide for them. I keep the main thing, the main thing. But I like off-field adventures, too."

And Parsons has had plenty of off-field adventures. He is an active user on X and has over 500,000 followers on the platform. Additionally, Parsons has his own show, The Edge With Micah Parsons, which he launched thanks to a partnership with Bleacher Report. In May of '24, Parsons was named the President of B/R Gridiron, a Bleacher Report subsection dedicated to NFL coverage.

Parsons believes none of his off-field endeavors should even cross the mind of his critics—so long as he's performing at a high level.

"Everyone has their selection of how they want to deal with things. Some people drink. Some people smoke. I like to tweet. I like to be active and know about ball," Parsons said. "I like to know what everyone else is doing. And that's just me. I don't drink. I don't smoke."

"What I care about is the effort you give me on the football field, and that's something you can't question. I know I'm one of the best players and as long as I'm performing that way, it shouldn't matter. When you jump offside on the goal line, is that because I'm tweeting?"

"I think it's ridiculous, outrageous."

Parsons, the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year, has racked up double digit sacks in each of his four seasons in the NFL. He is currently on track to play out the '25 campaign on the fifth-year option, which will pay him roughly $24 million.

Parsons is seeking a long-term contract extension, and has had talks with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones this offseason, but no formal contract offer has been extended by the club, according to Jane Slater of NFL Network.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Micah Parsons Brushes Off ‘Ridiculous’ Criticism From DeMarcus Lawrence.

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