Micah Parsons Defends Myles Garrett’s Defensive Player of the Year Win, Calling Out T.J. Watt

Linebacker Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys came to the defense of Myles Garrett, who secured the Defensive Player of the Year title at NFL Honors. Parsons not only congratulated Garrett on the win but also took a stand against criticism, particularly from Pittsburgh Steelers fans upset that T.J. Watt wasn’t the recipient.

The debate sparked by the results of the voting continues, as Watt, who led the league in sacks, expressed his disappointment online, echoing sentiments that this outcome wasn’t unfamiliar to him.

In an interview with Zach Gelb of CBS Sports, Micah Parsons doubled down on his support for Garrett, highlighting the dominance he exhibited in games, particularly pointing to the Titans matchup as evidence of his impact. Parsons emphasized the strategic challenges faced by Garrett on the field compared to Watt.

The voting outcome revealed that Garrett received 23 first-place votes and a total of 165 points, with Watt trailing closely behind with 19 first-place votes and 140 points, securing the second spot. Parsons himself claimed the third position with seven first-place votes to his credit.

Parsons didn’t hold back in his assessment of Watt’s performance, suggesting that the Steelers’ edge rusher doesn’t rank among the top five in the league when it comes to pass rushing. By analyzing key statistics, including pass rush win rate and double team rate, Parsons argued for his own position as the best pass rusher of the year, followed by Garrett and other notable names like Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa.

The Cowboys’ standout player also criticized Watt’s demeanor post-announcement, highlighting his own approach to losses in previous award seasons where he didn’t express public discontent but chose to focus on his own improvement and work ethic moving forward.