Cowboys head coach challenges Micah Parsons to take on stronger leadership role

Brian Schottenheimer is ready to see Micah Parsons be a leader for the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa celebrates after Parsons sacks New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys lost their two longest-tenured players this offseason with Zack Martin retiring and DeMarcus Lawrence leaving in free agency.

Both Martin and Lawrence were added in the 2014 NFL Draft and had developed into strong leaders for their side of the ball. When Lawrence left, however, some issues between him and Micah Parsons were brought to light.

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Rather than focus on the negative from this, Parsons is ready to take on a larger role. That’s exactly what head coach Brian Schottenheimer expects from the fifth-year pro as he essentially challenged Parsons to take the next step in this regard.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Eagles. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

While speaking on Parsons, and his desire for a new contract, Schottenheimer said he hopes Parsons is in a Cowboys uniform for a long time. He then dove into the opportunity in front of Parsons to take on more responsibility.

“This is an opportunity for Micah, especially, with some of the guys that we lost as leadership for Micah to step up. He's excited about that. He wants to have more leadership responsibility.” — Schottenheimer

We’ve already seen Parsons take on a more vocal role with the franchise, and the results were evident. He was sidelined for four games with an ankle injury and the defense struggled mightily without him.

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Once Parsons returned, the entire unit performed better. He not only helped by taking the attention away from his teammates, but he continued to push the team to fight throughout the difficult campaign.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons celebrates after a sack during the third quarter against the New York Giants / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

This season, he should feel even more confident in this role, especially since he’s not only the best player on the defense, but he’s also one of the veterans as well.

As he’s done with every other challenge, Parsons is sure to rise to the challenge and prove (again) to be well worth the incoming extension.

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