Micah Parsons Responds To Cowboys Trade Rumors With Comment That Could Come Back To Bite Him

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Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons has elected to get out ahead of the trade rumors surrounding him with an emphatic statement, and while Dallas fans will certainly find them admirable, he may have set himself up for a tough situation down the line.

NFL Network's Ian Rapaport is responsible for kicking off the rumor mill involving Parsons after speaking with Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones and reporting that the Cowboys "had not closed the door" on the thought of trading the linebacker.

Following the report from Rapaport, Parsons spoke with The Athletic and offered up his honest thoughts about the situation while speaking to the business side of the NFL.

"I understand how that business side goes. There are no hard feelings in this business, whether I'm here or anywhere else. Obviously I've stated that I want to be here. But at the end of the day, I understand the business side," Parsons explained.

"But I'm just happy to be here. I'm just gonna keep playing hard while I'm here. If I'm here for the next 5-6 years, I'm gonna keep playing hard then too. Ain't nothing really gonna make a difference, Micah is gonna play hard."

Micah Parsons wants to be a Cowboy for life. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Those initial comments from Parsons came on Sunday, but 24 hours later, Parsons changed his tune and made the simple yet bold remark that he was going to be a Dallas Cowboy for life.

"Like I said, I'm going to be a Cowboy for life. We're gonna figure out a way for me to be a Cowboy for life," Parsons said on his podcast. "I'm gonna be very excited at the end of this year. I hope the fans are going to be excited because I think it's going to be a great offseason."

The Cowboys signed quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to contracts totaling over $375 million this past offseason. Parsons is next in line for a long-term deal, and is likely to sign one that could keep him in The Big D for many years to come.

Many years, however, don't necessarily mean the remainder of one's career. 

If things turn on a dime as they often do in the NFL, Parsons and the Cowboys find themselves in some sort of turmoil, both fans and the front office could look back at Parson's claim that he wants to be a Cowboy for life and essentially throw it in his face if a not-so-great situation presents itself down the line.

Public perception shouldn't necessarily matter for an All-Pro caliber player like Parsons, but his pledging of allegiance to Dallas for the rest of his career shows that it absolutely does.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.