Brian Schottenheimer Hiding ‘True Feelings’ on Micah Parsons Trade After Confirming Doubtful Cowboys Future, Says Insider

Are the Dallas Cowboys doomed? If you ask reigning HC Brian Schottenheimer, you will get a circled ‘no’ with a drop of optimism. “We expect to have great success this year,” he had said. But the question isn’t what he said; it’s what’s true. To say “we’re gonna do a great job” might reflect truth on the offense. But the other side? The defensive side? It might be doomed after losing the cornerstone of the defense, Micah Parsons. While it’s well known that the locker room and Parsons didn’t go hand-in-hand. So, of course, the trade can’t be solely blamed on the Cowboys, but putting on a mask of optimism isn’t helping anyone. 

Parsons landed in Dallas in 2021, and you know where their defense ranked in EPA per play since then? No. 1 across the NFL. Removing him from the equation and checking the Cowboys from the bottom up won’t take long. That’s why Schottenheimer’s ‘great success’ comment post-Parsons’ move did raise some eyebrows. But what do you expect? He has to stay in Dallas, so of course, he has been hiding his true feelings on the trade under wraps. Even insider Mike Florio agrees, as he remarked, “Schottenheimer will never (at least while he still has that job) share his true thoughts on the decision to trade linebacker Micah Parsons to the Packers.” But just because that’s Schottenheimer’s approach doesn’t mean it’s everyone’s. Former HC Jason Garrett certainly didn’t hold back on how shocking this trade deal felt to him once he heard. 

“The most important player on a football team is the quarterback,” Garrett told Florio on Friday’s PPT Live. “The second most important player on a football team is the guy who can negatively affect the quarterback… He’s an impactful player, and I was shocked that they let him out of the building.” The three-time Super Bowl champion wasn’t exaggerating. Before Parsons arrived in Dallas, they weren’t even considered a good team—they finished second-last in the NFC East with 6-10.  

Then, in 2021, with Parsons and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Cowboys were transformed, earning the division title. One such transformation also happened in the 1990s, as insider Florio highlighted. They landed Charles Haley in a trade deal of ’91, ending a decade-long slump of the ’80s. This marked the beginning of a new era in Dallas. Those were the golden days, winning three Super Bowl trophies in four years. After the legend retired in ‘96, the Cowboys have been “trying to find another Charles Haley,” until Parsons arrived in 2021.

Not only did he make the Cowboys’ defense the top in the league, but he also built a personal legacy with 52 sacks, which placed him among the ranks of a legend like Reggie White. But when it came to finally paying him, the Cowboys seemed to have hesitated. They thought picking the fifth-year option might work in their favor, but it backfired. As a result, he landed in Green Bay. 

So, of course, Parsons’ departure has created a big pothole in the middle of the Cowboys’ road to breaking the playoff curse. “The defense will retreat without him. The team will have a harder time succeeding,” claimed Florio as the final verdict. This isn’t something that can be fixed by their optimism or using newly acquired Kenny Clark as a bandage. 

Micah Parsons trade lifts Packers’ defense 

While the Cowboys are yet to fully comprehend the loss of the four-time Pro Bowler, the Packers are embracing his addition. They know what it’s like going up against him on the gridiron. In fact, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur even admitted that just the thought of facing Parsons kept him up at night. Now, a player of his caliber is part of the Packers’ clan, and if you’ve heard the whispers going around about them and their quarterback at 27, you know how big a win this trade acquisition is. 

As for Parsons adjusting well to the Packers’ defense, LaFleur has full confidence. He even believes the pass rushers give the team a lot of flexibility. “It just gives us a lot of flexibility with what we want to do,” he told the reporters. “What a rare, rare, rare opportunity to get a guy of his caliber.” Tell that to Dallas! 

The head coach has been a fan of Parsons since the 2021 Pro Bowl, when he first came to meet the Cowboys’ new defensive sensation. Since then, he has known that the 26-year-old is an “ultimate competitor.” As he joined the Packers defense, which jumped from 17th-ranked to fifth last season under new DC Jeff Hafley, it may very well dethrone the Cowboys. He has already begun training with Hafley after arriving in Wisconsin on Saturday. And since he didn’t stop training even while sitting out Dallas’ training camp and preseason, the Packers are confident in starting the season with him.