Micah Parsons was introduced as a member of the Green Bay Packers on Friday night. Many Dallas Cowboys fans tuned in to see if Parsons would throw dirt on Jerry Jones. Others potentially watched the stream for further confirmation that the trade actually happened. The vast majority likely didn't follow along because it still hurts too much.
Parsons talking about the Cowboys in the past tense will take a long adjustment period to say the least, but he took the high road in his first public comments since the trade.
While he may have rubbed Cowboys fans the wrong way by insisting his back is fine, he shared a heartfelt message to the fan base and his now-former teammates - putting a bow on it with, 'I just wish things didn’t have to be like this."
Micah Parsons confirms he didn't want to be traded by the Cowboys
Parsons thanked Cowboys Nation for their support and circled Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown as two teammates he’s going to miss.
"I'm going to miss my dog 7. That's like a brother to me. There's a lot of people I got close relationships with over there and I'm going to miss them regardless. (DeMarvion) Overshown. You don't realize the impact people have when you see their determination. ... These are both guys that had knee injuries and I saw them work so hard you just want to pour back into them. I wish things didn't have to be like this."
While Parsons submitted a trade request, that was clearly a negotiation tactic to obtain leverage over the Cowboys. It hardly marked the end of Parsons in Dallas. In fact, Jane Slater of NFL Network reported that Parsons approached Jerry Jones about an extension after the Packers trade rumors trickled out earlier this week. Jones told him to play on the fifth-year option or leave.
At that point, Parsons gave his agent David Mulugheta the green light to call the Packers and get it done. This could have ended with Parsons continuing to don the No. 11 with a star on his helmet. Instead, he's repping No. 1 for a team that has handed Dallas several heartbreaks over the last 15 years and currently stands in their way of being the last team standing in the NFC.
Of course, nobody is expecting the Cowboys to achieve anything of relevance this season. Jerry Jones pulled the rug out from under fans a week before the season. They will be lucky to be in the playoff conversation.
Trading Parsons might’ve been defensible if he had openly wanted out. But the fact that he was willing to re-sign with Dallas shows this came down to Jones’ bruised ego and a personal grudge, officially cementing it as one of the worst trades in NFL history.