Malik Hooker ‘divides locker room’ over Micah Parsons comment, says former Packers WR, defends Cowboys LB after public assault

The Dallas Cowboys have found themselves in the spotlight once again and no, no one is getting a contract extension. In fact, the news involves Cowboys safety Malik Hooker criticizing LB Micah Parsons for a variety of reasons. Hooker came on Keyshawn Johnson’s All Facts No Brakes podcast, revealing things that were not in good taste for Parsons.

The conversation was picked up by SPEAK hosts and the show’s James Jones, who felt Hooker should have confronted Micah Parsons in person rather than going on a tirade on the podcast (a platform he doesn’t like). Parsons didn’t want to leave anything unsaid, so he took to social media and posted a logical response. One that NFL veterans, with their many years of experience, agree with.

“When guys come out and say that stuff in public, then now you put the magnifying glass on it.” the former Packers wideout said on SPEAK and added“As great as Micah is, people can now look at him with a magnifying glass and say, ‘Oh, he’s jumping in spaces. Is he that good? Is it his fault?’ Now all that starts happening and you divide the dressing room. That’s why I say go straight to the player because that can change a lot of things.” To get to the truth, it is important to understand where all this comes from.

“My advice to Micah would be to make sure we’re okay and that we’re where we are.” Hooker said and added: “The running game is terrible, but you do a podcast every week.” “What do you really care about? Do you care about the audience that’s watching the podcast or do you care about the success of our team and the Super Bowl that we’re trying to achieve?” Hooker said on Keyshawn Johnson’s podcast, but he clarified that he has no problem with Parsons having a podcast if the “running game” goes well.

Why call it a “running game”? Parsons is one of the best edge rushers in the league, right? The Wild Card game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys would be a perfect place to start. It’s no surprise that the loss was an embarrassing one for the Dallas Cowboys and one of the reasons why was because an All-Pro LB only made 2 tackles in the game. What’s even more surprising is that even though Jordan Love completed 16 of his 21 pass attempts, he still managed to score 3 touchdowns. Without a single interception! Plus, Love wasn’t sacked once in the game. So was it just a bad day for Micah Parsons, or is there more to the story?

One analysis suggests that Parsons is fast and weighs much less for the position he plays, while the Packers’ offensive line is comprised of players who are taller, heavier, and stronger than Parsons. While Parsons is fast, the Packers have focused all of their efforts on preventing him from getting to Jordan Love. But that doesn’t mean Parsons is the only weak link in Dallas’ defense. It’s just that Matt LaFleur’s team is much more physical. Plus, with Jordan only attempting 21 free throws, Parsons has had fewer chances to rush him.

Even though Dak Prescott threw for 403 yards and completed 41 of 60 passes, the QB took 4 sacks and was intercepted twice. At this point, it was a numbers game and Dallas gave the Packers edge rushers more chances to get to him. Keisean Nixon, De’Vondre Campbell, Lukas Van Ness, and Preston Smith each had a sack in the game. It’s also worth noting that the Packers ran the ball more (143 yards) than the Cowboys (123 yards). So, it’s not necessarily all Micah Parsons’ fault here. Some of the blame also falls on the Dallas offense.

What happened a few months after the game was even more surprising. Parsons did a podcast with Jordan Love a few months after the Cowboys’ loss in January. In the podcast titled, “Jordan Love explains how the Packers beat the Cowboys and Micah tells the Eagles’ draft story,” Micah explained that he wasn’t comfortable with the idea at first. But they were both there, trying to act like nothing happened. That may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back and caused all the drama in the league.

Did Micah Parsons Just Backtrack?

For some unknown reason, Parsons quickly deleted his response to Malik Hooker. Maybe he doesn’t want any more drama. The message Parsons deleted on X read: “I just wish you would have told me this but on a podcast and had my number, my family! @MalikHooker24 and you my locker room buddy! So you could have said that anytime! And you realize I’m shooting the podcast on our day off! Why don’t we talk about each other’s preparations and focus?” but has not elicited a response for the Cowboys’ safety. Will they bury the hatchet anytime soon? All will be revealed when the next season begins.

October 30, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

If only it were that simple. His podcast isn’t the only thing Malik Hooker talked about during his appearance on the podcast. He believes Micah is a long way from getting a contract extension with the Cowboys and that others are on the list before him. “Micah still has a lot to prove” Hooker told Keyshawn Johnson.“He’s a fantastic player, but I feel like Micah still has an area that he doesn’t even know where he can scratch in what he does. So I would say Micah is last just for that reason.”

You might have guessed that Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb would be the Cowboys’ priority before Parsons. Interestingly enough, Parsons stopped boycotting training camp and reported a few weeks ago. Around the same time, news broke that the Cowboys had picked up Parsons for a fifth year. A contract that will pay him about $21.3 million for the season, but not as a linebacker, but as a defensive end, because apparently the Cowboys will save $3 million in cap space because as a linebacker he would have made $24 million next year. His contract is already being shaken up.

Also, does anyone remember what happened at the Cowboys-Dolphins Christmas game? Micah Parsons and Tyreek Hill met, in a friendly way of course. But it was on his podcast that he told Tyreek Hill: “Come here by my side and my little girl will have a cheetah print.” It didn’t age well, as the Cowboys lost 22-20 to the Dolphins away from AT&T Stadium. So there’s no truth to Hooker’s theories?

The fact is, Malik isn’t completely wrong and Micah Parsons has said things that were beyond his control, made promises he couldn’t keep and it’s all over the internet. Plus, doesn’t that put pressure on the other Cowboys to perform and change the energy in the locker room? Parsons explained that his podcast has nothing to do with his training and that he does it when he’s not on the Cowboys’ clock. Creating a podcast is not illegal, nothing can absolve Parsons. He’s one of the best edge rushers in the league and there’s some truth to that.

But despite all the drama, one thing is for sure: From now on, Parsons and Hooker may have to work on their relationship and not indulge in too much off-field drama while things are going well.