WATCH: Micah Parsons reveals which Cowboys games he has highlighted on 2022 schedule
Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys now know exactly how their 2022 season will look since the NFL released the official schedule on Thursday night.
The 2021 All-Pro linebacker joined the NFL network after the schedule release and was asked about which games immediately stuck out.
“Seeing Tampa Bay and Cincinnati back-to-back,” Parsons said. “Two contenders, obviously the Bengals were in it last year and Tom Brady and the Bucs are always Super Bowl contenders.”
The Dallas Cowboys will open the 2022 campaign with the two games Micah Parsons is referring to and the second-year NFL pro believes those matchups will be a good measuring stick of where the team is early in the year.
“It’s kind of a testament to see where our team is at and where we stand,” 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year added. “I think that’s a great start to have those two Super Bowl teams and they could be big W’s for the Cowboys so I’m looking forward to it.”
Micah Parsons reveals moment when he knew he could make it NFL
Parsons, 22, became the first player in franchise history to win Defensive Player of the Year, with the Cowboys’ only other Rookie of the Year winners — Calvin Hill (1969), Tony Dorsett (1977), Emmitt Smith (1990) and Ezekiel Elliott (2016) — winning it on the offensive side of the ball. According to Parsons, there were a few moments in his rookie season that stood out, when he finally realized that he had what it takes to be a star in the NFL.
“There were a couple defining moments for me. The first moment was in camp. I was pass rushing and going through some team drills against the best of the best. I think we have the best offense in the NFL. I thought I was doing well hanging (with those players), learning and developing, doing very well. I was like, ‘Okay, I can play at this level,’” Micah Parsons said, via CBS. “There was a moment early in the year when I got my first sack and we won our first game (against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2). And midway through the year I said, ‘Man I’m here for a reason. Let me just be me. No more thinking, just play.’”
Parsons played college football at Penn State and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, as the Cowboys used the 12th-overall selection, and Parsons emerged into an immediate star. He first made a huge impact in the Cowboys’ season-opening loss to the Buccaneers; while the Cowboys lost, 31-29, Parsons amassed seven total tackles (three solo stops) in his first NFL game, along with half a sack. Parsons finished the season with 64 total tackles, 13 sacks, which ranked sixth in the NFL and three forced fumbles.
Micah Parsons was named to the Pro Bowl in his first NFL season, a big accomplishment in its own right, but he took it a step further on Thursday by taking home the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award, too.