Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is set to have a word with Micah Parsons.
After the 26-year-old edge rusher made headlines due to his behavior during the team’s final preseason game Friday night, Schottenheimer said he will meet with Parsons on Sunday to discuss just that.
“Without talking to Micah, I need to figure out what he was doing and why he was doing it,” Schottenheimer told reporters on a conference call Saturday. “So, until I talk to him, I’m obviously not going to talk about it.”
The first-time head coach is just the latest person to weigh in on the ongoing saga between Parsons and the Cowboys, which reached a new level amid the former’s antics before and during the team’s 31-13 win over the Falcons.
Parsons, who again was not playing as he seeks a lucrative multi-year contract extension, was seen walking the halls of AT&T Stadium eating nachos before the game. When one Atlanta fan yelled for him to join their franchise, the two-time All-Pro made the “call me” gesture for all to see.
Additionally, early in the third quarter, Parsons was lying on a medical table behind the Cowboys’ bench as the offense drove down the field.
He was also the only player not wearing a jersey during the game.
Schottenheimer said the team will handle a decision about Parsons’ future internally.
A hold-in during training camp this year, Parsons’ back issue has become another factor in the whole situation. He had an MRI done on Friday, which Schottenheimer said came back “pretty clean.”
Despite Parsons first mentioning back tightness at minicamp in June, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has dismissed its severity and insinuated it was part of negotiation tactics.
Jones has said they don’t plan on trading Parsons, who is a four-time Pro Bowler already.
The Penn State product is set to play on his $24 million fifth-year rookie contract option this season, but he is likely seeking a deal similar to the one T.J. Watt signed with the Steelers (three years, $123 million). Dallas could franchise tag him for the next two seasons to keep him from hitting free agency.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
