It’s now been a week since the Dallas Cowboys have traded All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and it still doesn’t feel real. And while the move has been universally blasted by everyone in the national media and from fans around the world, there are more people who believe the Cowboys made the right decision to move on from Parsons.
One such person is Jon Gruden, a Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders. Gruden dealt with a similar issue during his first season back with the Raiders in 2018, as the team traded Khalil Mack ahead of Week 1. And he believes Dallas made the correct call to move their best player.
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden blasts Micah Parsons after Cowboys trade
Gruden didn’t like the way that Parsons handled his hold-in and believes Dallas made the right decision to move on. In a recent interview on The Ronde Barber Show, Gruden explained why the “hold-in” by Parsons was unprofessional and why he understands how the Cowboys came to the conclusion to move on:
"I just watched Parsons in that preseason game against the Falcons. I didn’t like that at all. I mean, not even wearing his uniform, laying on the bench, that is a toxic look."
John Gruden, former NFL coach
It was clear from that moment that Parsons was serious about missing games, and he even went as far as getting a second MRI on his back so that he could potentially sit out Week 1 and still get paid.
There is no right way to trade an All-Pro player in their prime, and the Cowboys should have been more proactive about getting a deal done sooner. But once Parsons started to be a distraction, the Cowboys had almost no choice but to move on. It’s not worth jeopardizing a season over one player’s mood.
Parsons could very well dominate in Green Bay, and the trade could look even more foolish in the next few weeks. However, the Cowboys believe this will be a beneficial move for them in the long term, as it will help improve the overall culture, which has been a significant issue for several decades. Time will tell if that’s the case, but this trade isn’t as cut-and-dry as many have made it out to be, and Gruden’s statement proves that.
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