Micah Parsons: Myles Garrett's presence is way more dominant than T.J. Watt
When Myles Garrett won defensive player of the year on Thursday night at NFL Honors, Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons not only congratulated the Browns edge rusher, but he defended him from criticism. Most of the criticism came from Steelers fans, whose own edge rusher, T.J. Watt, finished second despite leading the league in sacks.
Parsons continued to defend Garrett on Friday and implied that Watt is a sore loser.
Watt didn't attend NFL Honors despite being on radio row in Las Vegas earlier in the week, and posted, "Nothing I'm not used to," just before Garrett was announced as the winner.
"I’m not a sore loser," Parsons told Zach Gelb of CBS Sports. "I thought it should have went to Myles if not me, and I said that publicly, and it's as simple as that. Myles, look at the Titans game alone. No offense, but T.J. played the Titans. Did you see two tight ends following T.J. Watt? Like they're following him all across the line [like they did with Garrett]?
"People can say whatever they want, but the film does not lie. His presence is way more dominant than T.J. Watt, and that's just the reality of it."
Garrett received 23 of 50 first-place votes and 165 total points, with Watt second (19 first-place votes, 140 points) and Parsons third (7, 89).
Watt led the NFL in sacks for the third time in four years, getting 19 in 2023. It was 1.5 more than Jaguars edge rusher Josh Allen had and five more than Parsons and Garrett.
Parsons, though, argues that Watt is not even a top-five pass rusher in the league.
"If you're talking about best pure pass rusher, I would say if you look my win rate, I was the best one this year, so it would be me [No. 1]," Parsons said. "Then, I would say Myles. Then, I would say Maxx [Crosby]. Then, I would say Nick Bosa.
"I mean, look at the stats. The stats don't lie. . . . I think [Watt] might have been fifth or sixth [in pass rush win rate and double team rate]. Alex Highsmith I think had a better pass rush rate and a more double team rate than T.J. Watt if you want to be statistical. This isn't my stuff. I'm not just pulling this out of my hat. Like, look at the stats."
Parsons said he has nothing against Watt, but he made clear he didn't like Watt's reaction to not winning the award. Watt won defensive player of the year in 2021.
"There's no beef at all," Parsons said. "One thing I hate about the NFL community and NBA community, we just hate when someone else wins. When I lost to T.J., I did not go in and say, 'I got snubbed.' I just said, 'I'm going to go to work.' When I lost to Nick Bosa the year after that, I did not say, 'I got snubbed.' I just said, 'I'm going to work.' The biggest mistake in people is saying that someone is not deserving. Who are you to say someone is not deserving of an award of that magnitude?"
