Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons used a lion analogy to dare opposing offenses to try and stop him this upcoming season.
The Dallas Cowboys have high expectations heading into the 2023 season. They made it to the playoffs last year but were once again eliminated before the NFC Championship Game. Even so, with the changes on the coaching staff and the additions they made in free agency, trade block, and the NFL Draft, they are considered to be a playoff contender entering the 2023 season.
One player who is expected to make a huge leap in production is pass rusher, Micah Parsons. Only entering his third season, NFL teams are going to try and make him a non-factor in games.
While speaking at a charity event this past week, Parson had quite the analogy to essentially dare the rest of the league to try and stop him this upcoming campaign. That analogy is buses pulling up to lions on a safari. Yes, you read that right.
Cowboys: Micah Parsons dares opponents to 'come visit'
"If you go to a safari, you see buses pull up on lions, and the lion never flinches," Parsons said, h/t Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Why? Because they're king. They're not going to flinch. Please come visit, you're more than welcome. I'm OK with feeling uncomfortable. That's how you evolve."
Parsons is coming off an impressive sophomore season with the Cowboys. Playing in all of Dallas' 17 regular-season games, Parsons recorded 65 combined tackles (42 solo, 23 assisted), 26 quarterback hits, 13.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
For his tremendous effort in 2022, Parson finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting with 101.0 points. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa won the award after receiving 237.0 points.
This offseason, Parsons said he wanted to add more muscle, but stressed that he wasn't going to exceed 255 pounds. Additionally, he worked on his pass-rushing moves, notably training with former Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.
While teams may be preparing to figure out ways to stop Parsons, the defensive star and coordinator Dan Quinn will likely be looking at ways to utilize his special skill set. If they nail it, that could spell disaster for offensive linemen and most importantly, the opposing quarterback.
Parsons is welcoming of teams trying to game plan against him because it will help evolve his game.