New Position for Cowboys' Micah Parsons: Coach?

Micah Parsons has been a smashing success since the Dallas Cowboys drafted him in 2021. He’s played linebacker and edge-rusher, even dropped back in pass protection. In doing so, he’s been All-Pro, named to the Pro Bowl, finished in the top three of Defensive Player of the Year and become the only player since Reggie White in the early 1990s to produce at least 12 sacks in each of his first three seasons.

But in 2024 he’s apparently going to expand in another, new direction: coach?

In transitioning from defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Mike Zimmer, Parsons said he expects to play elite football but also to learn the nuances that will someday groom him to be a coach.

"I'm not just learning the defense. They got me understanding defense as a whole," Parsons told ESPN . "I would just say they are increasing my football intelligence. It's not just about the system. I believe one day they're putting me in position to coach or something because every day is different."

Though Parsons had a close bond with Quinn (now head coach for the NFC East rival Washington Commanders), he's quickly developing a deep respect for the no-nonsense Zimmer.

“He’s not a coach who is just going to tell you to do something. He’s going to tell you why he does it and why it has success,” Parsons said. “There is always a purpose behind what he says, so when he does speak, you really listen to it and gravitate to it.”

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