Stephen A. Smith rips Chris Canty over Micah Parsons trade suggestion: 'He's a culture-builder'

During Thursday’s episode of First Take, former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Chris Canty said the Dallas Cowboys need to trade star EDGE Micah Parsons. In turn, host Stephen A. Smith exploded on Canty, explaining why he believes trading Parsons would be a huge mistake.

“Micah Parsons is worth it,” Smith said. “That’s why. This brother’s big time. Make no mistake about it. And by the way, he’s not a culture shredder. He’s a culture builder as far as I’m concerned.”

Parsons’ future with the Cowboys is uncertain after reports emerged earlier this month claiming that the Cowboys have discussed moving on from the former Penn State standout instead of paying him $24 million for his fifth-year option in 2025.

However, Parsons’ impending payday wasn’t the only reason that Canty said the Cowboys should trade him. He also pointed to Parsons’ podcast, stating that the two-time First-Team All-Pro has made questionable comments about his team, including a moment when he didn’t list Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

Stephen A. Smith vehemently defended Parsons’ comments.

“Let’s take into account what you said, Chris Canty, and [Micah Parsons] talking about Dak Prescott — so what?” Smith said. “That man’s getting paid $60 million, highest-paid quarterback in the league. And the brother’s got two playoff victories. Jalen Hurts has been in the league less. He’s got two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl championship.

“Jayden Daniels is a rookie, and he got to an NFC Championship game. We’re still waiting on Year 10 for Dak Prescott to get it in. Why the hell should Micah Parsons go out there and call him a top-five quarterback? Damn it, earn it.”

In his four seasons with the Cowboys, Parsons has been excellent. This past season, Parsons tallied 43 tackles and 12 sacks, the fifth-most in the league, despite missing four games due to injury.

While Dak Prescott has also had several successful campaigns, he hasn’t been able to lead the Cowboys to success. Nonetheless, Stephen A. Smith believes that the Cowboys’ issues don’t solely fall on Prescott.

“By the way, when it comes to running your mouth, how the hell you gonna knock [Parsons] for running his mouth when his owner, his president, his GM [Jerry Jones] runs his mouth more than him and anybody on the team,” Smith said.

In a recent interview with Cowboys.com, Parsons said the team has a plan in place for his extension. However, only time will tell if that plan comes to fruition.