Micah Parsons has made his mark as a linebacker and has set the bar high for who makes the cut in the pure pass rusher list. He stands firm on his stance—T.J. Watt is still not in his top five pure pass rushers.
Micah Parsons Explains His Stance on T.J. Watt and His Status As A Pure Pass Rusher
The Dallas Cowboys star, who caused a stir last year with his controversial ranking, doubled down during a recent appearance on “The Zach Gelb Show.” Despite Watt’s dominant numbers, Parsons remains convinced that other edge rushers bring more to the table.
When asked about his list of top five pure pass rushers, Parsons, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, listed his top rushers including himself, Myles Garrett, Danielle Hunter, and Trey Hendrickson.
He claims that all the names on his list display more versatility than Watt. When pressed on his reasoning for not adding Watt to his list, he didn’t back down and provided a detailed explanation.
“You said a pure pass rusher,” Parsons told Gelb. “If you look at what I do and you look at what Myles [does], we all move around. I play right, left. I play right tackle, I play nose, I play left guard-right guard. Everyone kind of finds their way…if you talk about pure pass rusher – it’s a few of us.”
A yearly tradition…
Micah Parsons explains why he still won't call TJ Watt a top 5 pure pass rusher in the NFL.@MicahhParsons11 @InfSportsNet pic.twitter.com/R0XCyOYKYk
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) February 5, 2025
These comments aren’t the first time Micah Parsons has left Watt off his list. Last year, he claimed that Watt wasn’t among the best pass rushers. Once again, he reaffirmed that he believes Watt thrives more as an all-around defensive player rather than an elite, technical pass rusher.
Meanwhile, Watt led the NFL with 19 sacks in 2023, marking the third time he’s topped the league. He’s also the first player to lead the NFL in sacks three times- an achievement even legends like Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White never accomplished. Parsons gives the Steelers fans reasons to fight back as Watt’s disruptive presence goes beyond sacks, with his ability to force turnovers and change games single-handedly.
To be fair, Parsons did acknowledge Watt’s greatness. “Do I think [T.J. Watt] is a top-five defensive football player? Hell yeah. The way he creates turnovers. The things that he does on the field is unmatched.”
Still, the debate rages on. Whether you buy Parsons’ argument for a pure pass rusher or not, Watt’s production speaks for itself. And as long as he keeps leading the league in sacks, it will be hard to keep him out of any top-five conversation.