After drama-filled offseason, Micah Parsons is ready to work. How will Cowboys use him?

After all that was said about Micah Parsons following the Dallas Cowboys’ inexplicable ending to the 2023 season, his collaborating with the enemy on his podcasts and his offseason of away from the team, the noise surrounding the superstar edge rusher has dissipated.

The start of training camp has made it all about football for a still rising player who may have arguably had the best start to his career than any player in Cowboys history.

Not only has Parsons made All-Pro and the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the league, but he also has finished among the leaders in the NFL Defensive Player of Year balloting in all three seasons, finishing second twice.

He is one of just four players in NFL history to record more than 40 sacks in his first three seasons.

Yet the talk for much of the offseason was his leadership, his podcasts and his trips to Tokyo and Japan with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Many wondered aloud whether the Cowboys should trade him for a bushel of picks rather than make him the richest non-quarterback in NFL history.

The latter is coming. And, to Parsons’ credit, he is at training camp focused on football and getting the Cowboys to a Super Bowl with the full understanding that he will get financially rewarded next offseason.

Holding out to get his money now was never a consideration.

“I want to be here my whole life,” Parsons said. “I plan on building a house here and being in Dallas forever. I love the city. I love the community.

“The contract stuff will always take care of itself. Winning games is what I need to take care of.”

To the Cowboys’ credit, they have blocked out the noise and focused on what they need to do to help Parsons take his game to another level.

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer may not pal around with Parsons as much as his predecessor Dan Quinn, who is now the coach of the Washington Commanders. That is not his style.

He is going to make sure Parsons is more disciplined. He will keep him from freelancing and will hold him accountable.

But Zimmer meets with Parsons every morning in camp and he is a fan of his game. His job is help unleash his unique talent in the playoffs.

Parsons has eight solo tackles, 10 assists and just one sack in four playoff games.

“I’m not sure he couldn’t play every position out there, to be honest with you,” Zimmer said. “He’s got great acceleration, great quickness, he’s extremely brilliant. He’s got power and strength. We’re trying to figure out a lot of different ways to move him. One week he might be doing this and then next week doing something else.“We’re trying to get him one-on-ones as many times as possible.

‘Playoff games and a lot of the games they struggled with last year, they knew where he was, and they found him. And they did a good job. Sometimes we’re gonna have to use him (when offenses are focused on him), we’re gonna be bringing people from the other side. They can’t just sit there and key on him.”

Look for Parsons to continue to get up field as a pass rusher, but he will also be used at linebacker. His position will depend on the game and situation.

And while much has been made about his prospective relationship with Zimmer, especially considering they didn’t talk much in mini camp after Parsons missed the offseason program and OTAs, there is already mutual admiration and respect.

“So far, all of our conversations have been very great, very simple, very open, very transparent, very much what can you do, what positions he wants me to be in and things like that,” Parsons said “I think his coaching has been fabulous. His scheme has been amazing. I’m actually very excited to be in this scheme. I think this was definitely a blessing that we went and got Zimmer and he decided to come back.

“What Zimmer is able to get out of his players is no different from Dan. I think Zimmer is starting to open up to the guys and be more open with us. We’re building that bond. I think it’s still going to be a very good year without Dan. I was blessed to have Dan for three years. He still checks in on me. He’s like my big uncle, someone I love very much dearly. But at the end of the day, I’ve got a job to do and that’s to kick his (butt) twice a year. We can hug afterwards.”

What’s also true is that Parsons wasn’t loafing during his time away from the offseason program. He was working to get better, just not with the team.

He lost weight and is now back to his college weight of 240.

He will be quicker and in better condition so he can run all over the field and sustain it later in the season. Of Parsons 14 sacks in 2023, just 1.5 sacks came in the last five games, including the playoff game.

“I actually don’t think my production drops off at all,” Parsons said. “I think teams do a great job of game planning. I am still one of the most feared players in the league. It’s more that I just want to be better for myself. I owe it to the fans and my teammates to be better, to put more commitment into this and do better as a whole. I take accountability when we lose. I take those losses very personally. Anyone who knows me or is close to me know I hate to lose. I can’t stand to lose.”

Parsons said he some hard conversations with coach Mike McCarthy after the loss to Packers about where they want him to step up and be a leader on and off the field.

Parsons even had a hard conversation with safety Malik Hooker, who criticized him on a podcast about doing his podcasts and not doing enough to help the team stop the run.

“It’s just one of those things, it is what it is,” Parsons said.”People do in their free time that’s what they do. I know what I do in my free time, so make sure you hop on The Edge, if you got a chance on Monday or Tuesday nights (Bleacher Report). What he does on his Monday and Tuesday nights, when he’s not in the building, that’s on him. What I do, that’s me and my business and my family. So I’m going to keep it at that.

Parsons said it was no misunderstanding, as Hooker claimed..

“It’s plain as day what it was,” Parsons said. “It is what it is. Everything was said and I just want to move on and get ready to the season.”

Parsons is doing his part in the locker room. He says it starts now with him walking around meeting room making sure his teammates are taking notes and has a water bottle.

He said there will be no excuses in 2024 and it was born out of the hurt from the Packers game.

“That was the last time I stepped on the field. It should motivate you,” Parsons said, “It’s back to don’t throw things away and say they’re not there. I think that is a little bit delusional. It’s more you should know what that failure feels like. That’s what makes you stronger. Think about anything that has ever hurt you in life. this is what it is, I accept it and I will never let it happen again. That’s what champions do, that’s what winners do. You embrace those failures.

“I embrace that loss. I wholeheartedly am open and admit to that loss and I take that loss in and I use that in my training. That’s the type of motivation that you should have when you take a loss like that, or any loss.”

As far as himself, hopes to finally reach his goals of leading the league in sacks and winning the NFL DPOY award after finishing so close the past three seasons.

Winning the playoffs and getting the Cowboys to the Super Bowl are paramount.

“I think the goals of mine are always obvious and always to be the best in everything I do,” Parsons said. “Always to lead my team to the playoffs, win the Super Bowl, be the best defensive player in the league and usually when you do all those things, those things usually follow suit. I just got to take one step in front of the other, take one game at a time, dominate, do what I have to do, get a win, go to playoffs and all that stuff will add up.”

Including the contract.