Love & War: Cowboys LB Micah Parsons & Chargers QB Justin Herbert Trade Compliments
Love and war. The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers can't seem to pick one.
As the teams continued festivities at joint practice Thursday ahead of their Week 2 preseason matchup Saturday, punches were thrown and helmets flew off as two highly-talented rosters went head to head.
Still, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert might be changing the narrative.
There might not be a more heated positional rivalry in football than the one shared between quarterback and pass-rusher, but from one first-time Pro Bowler to another, it's all love. The two stars didn't hold back from heaping praises at each other after practice this week.
“I think he’s about as special as it gets," Herbert said. "I don’t know if I have much to offer him. He’s much faster, must stronger than me. … He’s a great person. I’m really looking forward to watching him this year.”
In his short NFL career, Parsons has faced quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Kyler Murray, and Patrick Mahomes. But along with returning the love on how feels about Herbert as a person, Parsons thinks he might be in the conversation for best signal-caller in the league.
"You know, I think Justin Herbert is a very good quarterback, one of the better quarterbacks, if not top quarterback in the league," Parsons said. "Going against him is great comp. I love going against him. I love him as a person. He's a great dude."
Parsons wasn't exactly kind to Herbert in Week 2 of last season, as the Cowboys came away with a thrilling 20-17 victory over the Chargers on the road.
The rookie linebacker totaled four quarterback hits and sacked Herbert late in the fourth quarter at one of the worst possible times for the Chargers. As LA was set up with a 2nd and goal at the seven-yard line and a chance to take the lead down 17-14, Parsons' 18-yard sack forced the Chargers to settle for a field goal before the Cowboys soaked up the last four minutes of time to kick a game-winning boot in return.
The stats show that Parsons was head-hunting Herbert, as it was the beginning of a season where the Penn State product would finish with 13 sacks, three forced fumbles, Defense Rookie of the Year honors, and an All-Pro nod.
He also made his first Pro Bowl and was joined by Herbert, who threw for the second-most passing yards (5,014) and third-most touchdowns (38) this past season. It was the most single-season passing yards and passing touchdowns in Chargers franchise history.
Parsons probably won't make the switch to quarterback anytime soon (of course, it's hard to rule out anything for the do-it-all star), but he's still taking the opportunity to learn from Herbert in order to improve his game from a defensive standpoint.
"(I'm) just competing with him and just picking at his brain for what he's seeing out there and what I could do better," Parsons said.
Parsons is seeking his first-career interception this season. And though he won't get a chance to do it against his best bud Herbert, the lessons - and love - he's been receiving are likely to springboard him into another All-Pro level season for Dallas.
The Cowboys and Chargers begin Week 2 preseason action Saturday at SoFi Stadium at 9 p.m. C.T.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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