Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons makes interesting comparison ahead of first Pro Bowl

While the Pro Bowl is usually all fun and games to most, Cowboys rookie linebacker Micah Parsons seems to be treating it like any other football game, saying that he’d not only like to get his hands on every AFC quarterback, but also that he’s ready to pop some pads while he’s at it.

“I already told them I’m going hard as heck,” Parsons told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe on Saturday. “I’m going to be like Sean Taylor out in that joint. They’re going to tell me to slow down. They’re going to be so mad.”

Parsons is referring to Taylor’s massive hit during the 2006 Pro Bowl against opposing punter Brian Moorman. To this day it’s one of the most brutal hits ever handed out in the annual star-studded event.

This sentiment goes hand-in-hand with his breakout rookie campaign. Thanks to that all-gas-no-breaks mentality, Parsons is well on his way to being one of the NFL’s premier linebackers. Not only has the Rookie of the Year frontrunner made countless all-rookie lists, he’s also cracking all-pro lists along with 2022 Pro Bowl honors.

The rookie appeared in 17 games during the Cowboys regular season, Parsons finished second on the Cowboys behind Jayron Kearse with 84 tackles (64 solo, 20 assists). 

Notching 13 sacks in his first campaign, Parsons finished sixth in the NFL behind league-leader T.J. Watt of Pittsburgh, who had 22.5. Parsons was also credited with three passes defended and three forced fumbles playing in 16 games. 

For the effort, Parsons was twice awarded the league’s Rookie of the Month honors both in November and December as the Cowboys climbed to first place in the NFC East and a No. 3 seed in the playoffs — Parsons was the first Cowboy to ever do so. 

That meant four sacks and 10 pressures as a linebacker for the Cowboys in December as the team secured a 4-0 record during the late season stretch. 

Unfortunately for Parsons, his season was ended during the wildcard round to the 49ers 23-17. Now, he’s soaking in his first Pro Bowl experience — but the rookie linebacker feels like he’s just getting started.

“We could take the success, we could take the bad and we can grow, and not look back in the past thinking about what we did before,” Parsons said. “Only think in the future. Think about what we can do, what we can develop, and hopefully win a ring because that’s what its really all about. I mean, Pro Bowl is cool but I’d rather be playing in L.A. next week.”

The Pro Bowl kicks off a 3 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC and ESPN from Las Vegas, NV.