“You could have changed the culture, brother!” These were Micah Parsons‘ words to Dez Bryant after he promised to tell the truth about the Dallas Cowboys back in January. The two have been at war since then over the Cowboys’ management. A former Cowboys player vs a current Cowboys player. And both of them are not leaving any opportunity to get back at each other. The victim of the recent attack? Micah Parsons.
Dez Bryant took the chance this time to send a message to Micah. Posting a video of himself on Twitter, Dez has seemingly challenged Micah to a game of ball. The video showed Bryant running and receiving a pass in the end zone while saying, “Hey, hey, hey. Micah. I’m out here. I know you ain’t nowhere to be found. I know y’all in the camp. I got my days mixed up. I’m just letting you know. I’m out here, though.” After Dez catches the pass, he runs towards the camera and says, “That’s you, Micah,” as an indication that Dez would beat Micah if they faced off.
Dez even captioned the post, which read, “@MicahhParsons11 this play look familiar…just let me know whenever you want it.” And the play in the video? It eerily looks like the ‘Dez Caught It’ moment, except only the falling and the alleged bouncing of the ball on the ground. It is a reference to the Cowboys’ final play of the 2014 divisional playoff game, which went for a touchdown but was controversially disallowed by the referees because they concluded the ball touched the ground. What followed the game was an immense protest, especially by Dez. This led to a subsequent change in the rules, which would allow for the play to be repeated in the future.
.@MicahhParsons11 this play look familiar…just let me know whenever you want it pic.twitter.com/dLxPuzpTC2
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) June 16, 2025
By loosely referring to this play, Dez is also reminding Micah that he was the one who fought for the truth and challenged culture. Something which Parsons has accused him of not being able to do. Dez also possibly means that it is because of his sacrifices that the youngsters are now able to talk freely and challenge the status quo. This also holds true in the case of how easily Micah is able to negotiate with the Cowboys amidst their contract dispute.
As for Micah, he is still waiting for a new contract from the Cowboys. While Micah attended the minicamp, he met with Cowboys’ GM Jerry Jones and talked for almost 30 minutes. While they did not talk of the contract, Parsons has revealed their conversation. “We were talking about how my offseason has been, the training I’ve been putting in,” Parsons said. “He was telling me I look pretty good, so I got excited about that. Asking me about the trip I just went on. It was a pretty good conversation,” he added.
While Parsons remains “pretty hopeful” about how soon the extension will be signed, he has warned that a delay will only increase the price. The reason? As other deals and extensions get signed, the rate for non-quarterback positions around the league will increase. One such recent signing is Myles Garrett, getting around $40 million per season. If this is the standard set, the Cowboys will have to match it or come close when they sign Parsons. There’s certainly enough incentive for Jones and the Cowboys to get a deal done as quickly as possible before any other team breaches the $40 million per season mark, forcing them to do so too.
Dez currently has a reputation for challenging the existing culture and making it better for future players. Staying true to his reputation, he has now challenged another longstanding tradition in multiple teams. A tradition that was often compared to harassment and bullying.
Dez Bryant challenges old Cowboys’ tradition
Hazing in the NFL refers to when a team’s seniors pick on the rookies and ask them to do certain acts. These acts can vary from having to wear a costume, getting strange haircuts, and even getting tied to the goalposts. While people have called them methods to improve camaraderie within the team, many have criticized them, deeming them excessive. Even the Jaguars in 2011 had banned this practice because it was leading to excessive harassment and injuries.
Dez on Monday wrote on X that he had the honor of talking with the Cowboys’ rookies. When asked by Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr, if he told the rookies about carrying the shoulder pads and helmets, Dez responded sharply. “Nobody should be carrying pads but I did share that story with the guys… there shouldn’t be any hazing going on..honestly…” he said. Openly criticizing the practice and talking against it.
Nobody should be carrying pads but I did share that story with the guys… there shouldn’t be any hazing going on..honestly… https://t.co/Sb7706FqS3
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) June 16, 2025
Dez Bryant is speaking out against the old tradition of hazing, and supposedly spreading the word to the rookies. It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys react to this. With parallels between bullying and harassment already being drawn, one question arises: Will the Cowboys officially ban hazing?
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