Micah Parsons got 'reality check' from pair of legends

Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons has unquestionably emerged as one of the NFL's top defensive players. But the star has also been a part of just a single playoff victory across his first three pro seasons.

Parsons spoke on Wednesday about how some tough offseason conversations with living legends Tom Brady and Ray Lewis taught him that he needs to be a better overall leader to help the Cowboys get to where they want to go over the next handful of months.

"I think it was a harsh reality and a reality check for me within myself and my self-evaluations," Parsons said about those chats, as shared by Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. "I got to do the best that I can, not only to make myself better but bring along other guys, and I feel like I needed that, and I had the conversations early on and you want to strike when the pot’s hot."

The Cowboys seemingly possess enough talent to compete for a title but are also facing a unique situation with both head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott set to be out of contract following the 2024 campaign. Additionally, it was reported this spring that Parsons had "worn thin" with the Cowboys to the point that some within the organization would be "smiling or breathing a sigh of relief" if he was traded.

Following Dallas' embarrassing 48-32 home wild-card playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers, Parsons reached out to all-time greats such as Brady and Lewis for advice.

"I kinda went to my mentors this offseason; How do I approach this? How do I get better at this? This is a task I never had to take on in my life," Parsons explained. "I think my whole life, I was pretty much, 'Micah is going to do what Micah is going to do.' I just expected everyone else to do that. As you learn leadership, some people need a pat on the back and some people need a push up ."

Interestingly, Parsons admitted he felt he "didn’t do everything I could to make everyone else around me [better]" last season. The 2023 Cowboys finished the regular season atop the NFC East standings with a 12-5 record, but Dallas then produced a no-show performance in the defeat against Green Bay.

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Cowboys fourth among the betting favorites at +700 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX. Parsons may understand his future beyond the upcoming season is very much so up in the air, as it's unclear if a different regime would look to move on from the 25-year-old before the 2025 draft.