Micah Parsons made his love for Dan Quinn well known as the former Cowboys defensive coordinator interviewed for head-coaching jobs.
The Cowboys pass rusher's fourth NFL season will be his first without his beloved coach, as the Washington Commanders are hiring Quinn to lead the franchise's new era in 2024.
Parsons says Washington, a longtime NFC East rival, is fortunate to have Quinn on the sideline and that he hopes Commanders players play hard for the former Cowboys DC.
"They're getting a real upstanding, outstanding guy, man," Parsons told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe at Friday's Pro Bowl Games practice. "I hope those players buy in and play extremely hard for him, and understand that ain't no one going to love them and care more about them than Dan Quinn. So man, please appreciate his presence, appreciate his greatness, and take care of my guy."
Parsons has flourished under Quinn's system, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and propelling himself into a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Years 2 and 3. The 24-year-old has hit or surpassed the 13-sack mark in each of his first three seasons, all of which were with Quinn as his coordinator. He's coming off another stellar season having led the NFL with 99 total QB pressures, per Next Gen Stats.
Dallas' 2023 campaign ended in a defensive disaster after its third straight 12-win season. The Cowboys gave up a season-high 48 points to the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers on Super Wild Card Weekend, ensuring the storied franchise wouldn't make it past the Divisional Round for a 28th straight season.
Owner Jerry Jones expressed the frustration of Cowboys fans this past week, saying Dallas is going "all in" on the 2024 season. Parsons hopes that's the case, but he will be preparing to make amends for a disappointing season without the only defensive coordinator he's played for in the NFL.
Parsons recently joked that Quinn "might take me with him" if the DC was to go elsewhere, but a day after it was learned his worst fears were indeed a reality, the three-time Pro Bowler is appreciating his former coach.
"Super happy for him, not because he went to a rival, just because like I said, Q is a big uncle for me," Parsons said of Quinn. "I know how much this means for him, and I know the stuff he wanted to take. He stayed with me as long as he could, but I know any team out there is lucky to have him."
