One of the positive notes of the 2021 season for the Cowboys, without a doubt, was Micah Parsons. The rookie linebacker, a first-round pick in last year’s Draft, was key in the defensive improvement that the cowboy team showed during the campaign. Parsons’ performance in his first year in the NFL has earned him several awards so far, to which he just added two more.
On Tuesday, Parsons was named Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Professional Football Writers Association of America (PFWA). Thus, the Penn State product became the first Dallas player to win this award in the defensive category. In addition, he is the third to be designated as Rookie of the Year by the PFWA, the other two being Tony Dorsett (1977) and Ezekiel Elliott (2016).
Micah Parsons has been voted the 2021 NFL Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by @PFWAwriters. Parsons is the third Cowboys player selected as the PFWA’s Rookie of the Year (Tony Dorsett in 1977, Ezekiel Elliott in 2016) and the first to receive DPOY. pic.twitter.com/2BpL2o9qMy
– Jon Machota (onjonmachota) January 25, 2022
There is no doubt that Micah Parsons was one of the revelations of the year in the 2021 NFL season. The rookie linebacker became a mainstay in Dallas’ defensive rebuilding under Dan Quinn as coordinator. And this, in large part, was because Quinn knew how to take advantage of the versatility of the young player.
And it is that Parsons not only limited himself to playing as a linebacker. Due to losses at defensive end at various points in the season, Quinn used the rookie as a pass-rusher. This made his defensive production more impactful for the team, being key to stopping opposing offenses especially in third-down situations.
In 16 regular season games, Parsons set these records: 84 combined tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 30 quarterback hits, 13 sacks, three passes defensed and three forced fumbles. Other than this, he recorded nine combined tackles and one tackle for loss in the wild-card round game against the 49ers.
Due to this performance, Parsons has received different individual awards. Apart from the aforementioned PFWA awards, the rookie has also managed to be chosen as:
- First-team All-Pro member.
- Starter for the 2022 Pro Bowl.
- NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month (November and December 2021).
- Pepsi Zero Rookie of the Month (three times).
- NFC Defensive Player of the Year at the 101 Awards.
The 2021 First-Team All-Pro Defense! pic.twitter.com/iOHZ9W1i50
— NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2022
Now, these may not be the only awards Micah Parsons receives after his successful first year as a pro. Currently, the first round pick of the 2021 Draft is a strong candidate to be chosen as Defensive Rookie of the Year according to the Associated Press. Parsons was even in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. However, TJ Watt (Steelers) is emerging as the undisputed winner of that award.
Without a doubt, the Defensive Rookie of the Year award would cap off Parsons’ fine season. It is worth remembering that this award and others will be presented during the NFL Honors gala. That ceremony will take place on February 10 at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.
At this particular point, Parsons might not be the only Cowboys player to be honored in the NFL Honors. Quarterback Dak Prescott is among the favorites to be Comeback Player of the Year. However, his inconsistent performance in the second half of the season may have detracted from his merits. Even more so after the great year of Joe Burrow, quarterback of the Bengals, who is projected as the winner of this award.
Beyond the awards received and to be received, Micah Parsons is shaping up to be a great figure in the NFL in the coming years. The young linebacker is already known for his particular “hunger” and his indefatigable desire to be better every day. It remains to be seen if Parsons can continue to be a key player in Dallas’ defense and earn a spot among the NFL’s biggest names.
