The frustrating moment of the Dallas Cowboys continues to produce new statements that are more focused on controversial issues than on talking about the game. One example is the case of Micah Parsons, who had made comments disavowing the figure of head coach Mike McCarthy amid rumors of his departure after a poor campaign in the 2024 NFL season.
“Mike can leave and go wherever he wants. It’s above my pay grade whether he comes back to coach next year or not,” Parsons had said of the Cowboys head coach following the Week 10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Those words had sparked controversy.
Hours after the situation, Parsons addressed his quote again on his podcast, The Edge, saying he did not mean to disparage McCarthy. The truth is that the Cowboys linebacker saw minimal action last week against the Houston Texans in the team’s fifth straight loss of the season. From the context, it appears that the 25-year-old player had to come out again to clarify the issue for the last time.
Parsons’ final message to McCarthy
“I mean no disrespect to McCarthy’s career and what he accomplished as one of the winningest coaches. I could have done better, I was angry and I wasn’t thoughtful. I didn’t think people would take that line as an attack. I’ll be more careful about what I say next time, so that’s my apology,” Parsons concluded, via ESPN‘s Todd Archer. The Cowboys linebacker publicly apologized to the coach.
Parsons also confirmed that he met with McCarthy to discuss the issue.
“The most important thing is obviously how much love I have for coach McCarthy. But I think like anything, him understanding I’m always going to be a players’ guy first. We discussed it in a meeting and it all ended well,” Parsons confirmed.
McCarthy’s contract situation with the Cowboys
The Cowboys head coach is closing out his final year of his contract with owner Jerry Jones’ franchise and would not continue in the position next year. A 3-7 campaign with a consecutive losing streak shattered the nascent preseason dream of reaching the Super Bowl. Names are already being tossed around to fill McCarthy’s vacancy, including Deion Sanders, Jason Witten, Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson and even Bill Belichick.
What did Mike McCarthy have to say about the Cowboys’ poor season?
“It’s very frustrating for everybody. It’s frustrating for the players, it’s frustrating for the coaches, I know it’s disappointing for the fans. We’re not playing, executing or training well enough to overcome some of the mistakes we’re making at critical moments in the game,” McCarthy had said after the tough loss to the Texans.