The Dallas Cowboys will not be giving Micah Parsons a video tribute as he plays his first-ever game against them on ‘Sunday Night Football.’
Parsons is unbothered by Dallas’ decision, as he explained to reporters at a media availability Wednesday.
‘There’s a lot of things I can consider disrespectful throughout this process, but I wouldn’t say the tribute is one of them,’ Parsons said. ‘I would say, I just think there’s hard feelings maybe there for them. But for me, I’m happy where I’m at and we got a really good football team, so I guess I can [get] my tribute in a win, I hope.’
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters of Dallas’ decision not to organize a tribute video for Parsons on Monday.
‘I don’t think that’s appropriate this way,’ Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. ‘Emmitt [Smith] was a different story. That’s not to diminish Micah. I think Micah has enough welcome out there and we just need to show that we’ve got antidotes for that.’
Parsons’ time in Dallas ended on a sour note. He and the team were engaged in an offseason-long contract dispute that culminated in him being traded to the Green Bay Packers just a week before the Cowboys opened their season against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Parsons implied his relationship with Jones may have been strained by the drama, as he acknowledged Wednesday the two hadn’t spoken since Dallas’ OTAs.
‘I never even heard from Jerry Jones himself when I got traded,’ Parsons said. ‘I found out through my agent.’
Even so, Parsons isn’t harboring any resentment toward the franchise and expects to receive a warm welcome from the crowd on hand at AT&T Stadium.
‘You know, I think Dallas loves me,’ Parsons said. ‘I think they’re gonna give me a good round of applause. There’s no hard feelings there, at least from me, and I think it’s going to be, like I said, it’s going to be a great atmosphere.’
And Parsons isn’t worried about getting wrapped up in the moment reflecting on the whirlwind trade that landed him with the Packers.
‘Once the game starts, who’s gonna be worried about any trade?’ Parsons said. ‘Like it’s just me against them five men in front of me. And then we’ve got one common goal. And that’s to win the football game.’