Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and dropped a hint that he might be getting some reps at the tight end position soon enough on Sundays. But was he serious about it, or was it just a light-hearted moment in practice this past week?
Micah Parsons Spills the Tea on the Pat McAfee Show
During an interview with McAfee and co-host AJ Hawk, Parsons casually said that he has been getting offensive reps in the tight end position during practice.
“Big Mike [McCarthy] actually let me get a couple scout team reps at tight end,” Parsons shared on the show. “He might not let y’all know that. I probably shouldn’t have spilled the tea,” said Parsons.
"Big Mike let me get a couple scout team reps at Tight End..
I probably shouldn't have spilled the tea on that one" 😂😂 ~ @MicahhParsons11 #PMSLive #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/yFCRHlUiCh
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 19, 2023
When asked about it by reporters earlier in the week, Parsons laughed and said McCarthy was disappointed in his route, adding, “I told him I didn’t warm up. I just went out there on the fly.”
However, Parsons said he looked forward to trying it again with more preparation.
Will Mike McCarthy Play Parsons at Tight End?
The short answer is probably not. With a player as impactful as Parsons, it’s hard to imagine he would be put in the position to risk injury when he already has the workload on the defense. This is even more compounded by the fact that star cornerback Trevon Diggs tore his ACL in practice on Thursday.
But what was interesting is that McCarthy noted it could help Parsons in the long run by gaining a different perspective.
“I always felt it helped an elite player to go over there because you get some appreciation and keeps them engaged,” said McCarthy.
This is nothing new for Parsons, as he has talked about studying other positions and even sports to improve his game. One example is when Parsons worked with former offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth over the summer to improve his weaknesses.
He said being able to pick Whitworth’s brain allowed him to see how offensive linemen would think and what their point of attack would be so he could be one step ahead of them.
The edge rusher also took up boxing. He discussed this last week, stating it’s crucial to learn how to be attacked under pressure, adding, “These guys are going to hit you from all different type of ways maybe up high down low being there just being prepared for it. It’s the same thing as sparring, so it’s something I’m pretty much used to at this point.”
A Stacked Tight End Room
It’s not like the Cowboys need much help at the tight end position. The room is stacked with the likes of Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot, and Luke Schoonmaker on the active roster and Sean McKeon on the practice squad.
Although the West Coast offense schemes tight ends to be blockers more than receivers, it doesn’t take away from how important they are to the offense’s success.
With this being a young room, Ferguson has taken charge of being the team’s starting tight end. Time will strengthen this room as the offense figures out the ball distribution throughout the season.
So, although Parsons will probably stick to terrorizing opposing offenses and not being on the Cowboys’, it is fun to think about him getting more work with the tight end room.