Cowboys' Parsons happy for Bosa after megadeal, expects 'good chase' for DPOY
Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons said he's excited about San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa signing a record contract extension that reset the market among NFL defenders.
"Super happy for Nick Bosa, man," Parsons said Wednesday, according to Garrett Podell of CBS Sports. "He really showed why he was the best player in the league last year. It gives you something to chase, and not in terms of his contract, but in terms of how great he was. If you study his mindset, how patient he was and how he just let the game come to him, it's really something to look for."
Bosa reportedly agreed to terms with the 49ers on a five-year contract worth $170 million Wednesday, ending a lengthy holdout days before Week 1. The 49ers star, who beat out Parsons for the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022, will earn $34 million per year as part of his new reported deal, the largest amount ever given to a non-quarterback in the NFL.
Parsons is eligible for his own extension next year, and his new deal could reset the market again. However, the 24-year-old says he's more focused on topping Bosa as the league's best defender.
"He knows that I'm coming for him," Parsons said of Bosa and the race for the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. "He even said to my ears, like, 'I won this year,' and he's like, 'I know you'll be coming for next year.' I said, 'You're damn right.' It's going to be a good chase. Not only (me and Bosa), you also have (Las Vegas Raiders defensive end) Maxx Crosby, too, and those guys are all really good."
Parsons was the front-runner for the DPOY early in the 2022 campaign before Bosa caught fire in the second half. Parsons, the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year, has finished second for the top individual award among defenders in both of his NFL seasons.
The Penn State product, whom Dallas selected 12th overall in 2021, finished 2022 with 65 tackles (13 for loss) and 13.5 sacks, five fewer than Bosa.
The Bosa-led 49ers eliminated the Cowboys in the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Dallas visits San Francisco in Week 5 this year.
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