Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons isn’t fulfilled with his job on the defensive side of the ball. He wants to earn more playing time for the upcoming season. But the Cowboys coaching staff probably won’t give him his wish.
The Cowboys have asked Parsons to play snaps as an off-the-ball linebacker in addition to his Edge duties. Parsons is much better as a pass rusher than as a traditional linebacker. Parsons also wants to add special teams reps to his Sunday routine.
Micah Parsons wants to return kicks
Per Transcription by NBC Sports of Cowboys special teams coach John Fassel’s comments on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Parsons has asked the staff to be the primary kick returner:
“You know Micah. He has lobbied me in the past to just be the primary kickoff returner,” Fassel told Ross Tucker of the Ross Tucker Football Podcast. “I’m like, ‘Micah, that’s a question you’ve got to go a little further up than me on that one.’ But would I love to see him back there? Absolutely, because he would be fantastic. He would catch it and he’d run wild and he’d probably get incredible yards. But that ain’t going to happen. I’m aware of that.”
The Dallas Cowboys don’t see him as the main return man
While Parsons wants to be the star returning kicks, the staff also sees Parsons as a special teams contributor. But Fassel wants to see Parsons tackling returners instead of bringing the ball downfield:
“Put him on the kickoff side? Absolutely,” Fassel said. “I remember watching Micah on kickoff coverage at Penn State as a freshman because I was scouting Nick Scott, a player we drafted to the Rams. . . . I was like, ‘Who is that guy on kickoff’ when he was a freshman.”
Parsons is too valuable as a defender
Fassel said the team won’t allow Parsons to play special teams. He’s too important on defense. However, Fassel noted there is a possibility they’d use him as a second returner if they needed a late kick-off return to win a game.
Judging by how the Cowboys have conducted their offseason, they might need Parsons returning many kicks in the fourth quarter.
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