Kansas City Chiefs legend Priest Holmes believes Micah Parsons is about to redefine his career in Green Bay, and possibly take home Defensive Player of the Year.
In a new appearance on The Holmes Stretch, made available to The Action Network, Holmes explained why he’s been “totally impressed” by Parsons after the linebacker’s move from Dallas to Green Bay, and why a change of scenery might be all it takes for him to reach another level.
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Who’s your pick for DPOY?
Priest Holmes: Defensively, just in a week, I've been totally impressed [by Micah Parsons]. I had the wrong impression about this guy.
There was a dispute in Dallas where there was an argument over contracts, right? Jerry says, "Hey, this is what it is. I did my part as an owner. You need to accept it.” He didn't accept it. Instead, it got into the media and it got kind of messy.
Micah Parsons. I don't know if you saw how he walked down and he was running from the back end and he walked down the quarterback and tackled him, but I remember seeing that in slow motion. I said, "Man, he looks different. He looks ready to play. He's on a mission. He is on a mission."
You know, it goes back to if you look good, you feel good, you play good. He definitely looked great in that Green Bay uniform. He had these muscles popping out of his arms.
When he walked down the quarterback and grabbed him from behind and sacked him, I said, "Man, this is a different guy." I think that I've experienced that in terms of getting into a new team, new environment, new jersey, it just brings a different mystique about you. It allows you to rebrand yourself. It allows you to have a different type of discipline and be a different type of leader.
I see him more of a leader with Green Bay than I did when he was with Dallas. He's going to cause havoc in that division. I'm excited to see how that season goes.
Do you see Green Bay as a Super Bowl contender this year?
Priest Holmes: I just didn't see Green Bay making that jump. As hard as it is to play in Green Bay, I still don't see that happening. But I do see Micah causing havoc on the defensive side of the ball.
I think this is going to be an incredible year for him and I think we're going to see a different Parsons. I really do. You know, definitely the aggression is there.
I think he was more of a prima donna with the Cowboys. Sometimes you can fall into that just because, when you grow up thinking, ‘I just want the star on my helmet,’ as a kid. It was all lights, camera, and action. But I feel like that's how I viewed him. So that's just my own personal take on it.
Parsons and the Packers opened the season as one of the NFC’s biggest wild cards, and if Holmes is right, Green Bay’s newest defensive leader could be the one to shake up the DPOY race.
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Full interview available on The Holmes Stretch podcast, via The Action Network.
