Dallas Cowboys: Micah Parsons sends challenge to DeMarcus Lawrence

The Dallas Cowboys defense will see some healthy competition bred among two stalwarts throughout the 2022 season, as DeMarcus Lawrence unknowingly placed a wager on second-year star linebacker Micah Parsons to see who the best pass rusher in Dallas actually is.

“[I want to] become the sack leader again,” Lawrence said about his goals for next season. “I let a rookie show me up last year. Shot out to my boy Micah [Parsons]. Restate my dominance. Let everybody know how I’m coming, how I feel and the type of respect I’m going to demand when I step on the field.”

Parsons ended his Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign with 64 total tackles and 13 total sacks, good for sixth best in the NFL last season. Meanwhile, Lawrence wrapped up his eighth year with just three sacks after appearing in just seven games – a far cry from the combined 25 sacks he accumulate between 2017 and 2018. In the three seasons since, Lawrence has combined for just 14.5 sacks.

“It makes me want to compete,” Parsons said about Lawrence wanting to out-sack him next season. “… I want D-Law to step up. I want him to be who he is. I’m not taking that away from him, but sorry to tell him, he’s never getting that back. … If 10 [sacks] is the number, I’m going for 20. It’s gonna be a race to the quarterback.”

Parsons came into the league fresh off a dominant two-year stint with Penn State that saw compile 192 tackles (100 solo stops), 19.0 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and five passes defended in just two seasons of college football before being the Cowboys’ first round selection in 2021.

The former rookie appeared in every game but one for the Cowboys during the regular season, finishing second on the Cowboys behind Jayron Kearse‘s 101 total tackles. In addition to his ability to sack quarterbacks with ease, Parsons was also credited with three passes defended and three forced fumbles during his 16-game season.

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

During that late season stretch, Parsons put together four sacks and 10 pressures in December alone as the team secured a 4-0 record during the late season stretch, though their season would ultimately end in the wildcard round to the San Francisco 49ers.