Micah Parsons speaks truth about Myles Garrett

Dallas Cowboys linebacker, who knows something about the game, continues to back Garrett’s selection as DPOY.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett picked up his – and the franchise’s – first NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award on Thursday night.

The result was highly predictable given that Garrett had already pocketed the Pro Football Writers of America’s Defensive Player of the Year Award, been selected by the NFLPA as a First-Team All-Pro, and was the best defensive player on what was, for most of the regular season, the league’s best defense.

That logic was lost on a large portion of Western Pennsylvania, however, as Pittsburgh Steelers fans were apoplectic over the fact that linebacker T.J. Watt did not win the award as a key member of a defense that finished the season ranked No. 21 in total defense, No. 17 in passing defense and No. 19 in rushing defense on a third-place team that barely squeaked into the playoffs.

On the one hand, that is understandable. Fans are fans and will always champion their players. But the discourse hit a new level, which is saying something given that Steeler fans are tops in the league in being delusional, thanks to Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys.

Parsons, who finished third in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year, took to social media on Thursday night to point out that Garrett was the correct choice for the award.

Parsons then doubled down on Friday during an appearance on CBS Sports Radio’s Zach Gelb Show:

“I’m not a sore loser, I thought it should have went to Myles if not me. If you look at the Titans game alone, and no offense, but T.J. played the Titans, and did you see two tight ends following T.J. Watt? People can say whatever they want, but at the end of the day, the film does not lie. (Myles’) presence is way more dominant than T.J. Watt and that is just the reality of it.

“One thing I hate about the NFL community is that we just hate when someone else wins. When I lost to T.J. I did not say I got snubbed, I just went back to work. When I lost to Nick Bosa, I did not say I got snubbed, I just went back to work. The biggest mistake by people is saying someone is not deserving. Who are you to say someone is not deserving of an award of that magnitude?”

Parsons makes some good points, ones that unsurprisingly did not go over well among Steeler fans who continue to argue that Parsons does not know what he is talking about or somehow is not qualified to speak on the subject. That is even though Parsons is a two-time All-Pro selection and has 40.5 sacks in his first three seasons in the league.

Surely, given his résumé and the fact that he plays at a high level in the league, it is reasonable to conclude that Parsons must have some knowledge about what makes a good defensive player.

But given the team and fanbase involved in the discussion, expecting reason to enter the argument is probably asking too much.