Micah Parsons and Jerry Jones didn’t interact once before, during or after the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys‘ 40-40 tie on Sunday night — and that was by design.
Both Parsons and Jones expressed that they had no desire to share any sort of embrace or Kumbaya moment around the game, which occurred exactly one month after the Cowboys shipped the All-Pro edge rusher to the Packers.
“All in all, the emotions for me being in Dallas went away the moment they traded me,” Parsons told reporters. “I didn’t even get to talk to my owner, the person that drafted me. I found out through my agent.
“So to me, that emotion side was pointless, because the same way he called me in his office as a man, he couldn’t tell me as a man. So to me, that emotion side was gone. It was more about a respect factor at this point.”
As for Jones, he showed respect for Parsons’ talent, but also seemed to hold resentment toward the former Cowboys star for the way contract talks went before the trade.
“What are we supposed to do when we’re getting ready to play each other? And all’s at stake for him, and all’s at stake for our team, and the Cowboys. And that’s not appropriate to be visiting as you get ready to play,” Jones said. “I know very few people other than his family that have any more pleasant talks with Micah than I’ve had.”
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Packers and Cowboys tie 40-40, Should Green Bay fans be concerned?
The ending of Parsons’ time in Dallas has been well documented, with the two sides reaching a stalemate in extension negotiations that led to a trade request and the eventual trade. Jones has claimed that he and Parsons had agreed to a deal earlier in the offseason that would’ve made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the history of the game. Parsons’ side disputed that claim, with his agent, David Mulugheta, saying that there were other key details to the Cowboys’ offer that caused them to decline the deal.
Ultimately, the Cowboys traded Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, while Green Bay gave the star edge rusher a four-year, $186 million deal with $136 million guaranteed.
Initially, the addition of Parsons paid dividends for the Packers. They got out to a 2-0 start, with their defense dominating in those victories over the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. Their defense played well in a Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns before giving up 436 yards to the Cowboys on Sunday.
But Parsons made a major play that might have made the difference between the Packers tying and losing Sunday’s game. He chased down Dak Prescott for a sack on a second-and-goal from the Packers’ 4-yard line in the Cowboys’ overtime possession, which ended with Dallas kicking a field goal.
For Parsons, that play accomplished one of his goals for the night as he said earlier in the week that he wanted to sack his former quarterback. Still, the tie and the Packers’ defensive performance left a bitter taste in Parsons’ mouth.
“I’m not even going to lie, I’m pissed off,” Parsons said. “I’m very disappointed, just overall how we performed.”
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