Sunday will be a sad day for Dallas Cowboys fans. It will mark Micah Parsons' return to AT&T Stadium for the first time since being traded to the Green Bay Packers. And given how things ended between both parties, it might not be pretty.
Team owner/GM Jerry Jones already fueled the fire by saying that it wasn't appropriate to make him a tribute video. Now, head coach Brian Schottenheimer may have stirred the pot even further with his latest comments.
Brian Schottenheimer May Have Challenged Micah Parsons
“Micah is going to make plays. Is he gonna get a sack? (Expletive). I hope not," the first-year head coach said, as quoted by Jon Machota.
If there's something you never want to do with a fierce competitor like Micah Parsons, that's saying something that could be interpreted as a challenge. They don't need any additional motivation to bring their A-game every single week.
Micah Parsons Wants to Sack Dak Prescott
Parsons has been quite critical of the Cowboys' front office, but he still has plenty of love for his former teammates. However, that's not going to stop him from being a professional and going after Dak Prescott early and often:
"It's going to be painful (to sack Prescott)," Parsons told Rob Maaddi. "That's my guy. He was always like a good mentor for me. But you know how it is, he always told me if I ever faced him that it'll be a great matchup, so I'm excited to see what Sunday brings itself."
Parsons is getting up to speed in Jeff Hafley's defense, but his numbers are already impressive. Despite not playing all snaps, he's second in the league with 19 pressures. He also has six QB hits, five tackles, and 1.5 sacks.
Parsons Is Downplaying Sunday's Matchup
The Cowboys know firsthand just how disruptive Parsons can be. But as much as they may know his many strengths and few flaws, there's no such thing as containing a player of his caliber, much more when he's looking to make a statement.
When asked about his motivation, the Penn State product claimed that it would be just another game. Still, one would have to be very naive to buy that politically correct answer, considering his character and how things ended in Arlington:
"For me, it's just all about playing another game and just doing what I do best, and that's just be a disruptive football player," Parsons said. "I think the media and the fans are trying to blow it up to be such a big thing. But I just look at it as just another game at AT&T."
Cowboys fans will certainly hope that Parsons has the opposite of a revenge game. Sometimes, players let their emotions get the best of them and fail to perform up to their usual level. Other than that, it might be a very, very long day for Dak Prescott.