COWBOYS COACH TO TALK TO MICAH PARSONS ABOUT ACTIONS DURING PRESEASON GAME
Dallas Cowboys first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer plans to meet with disgruntled All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons on Sunday about his actions during the team’s preseason win Friday over the Atlanta Falcons.
Parsons, 26, has missed the entire three-game preseason during his hold-in while in a contract dispute. He was the only Cowboys player not wearing a jersey while on the sidelines in Friday’s game. He was observed lying down on a training table behind the team bench while the Cowboys were on offense in the third quarter.
Schottenheimer said on Saturday in a conference call with reporters that he wants to talk with Parsons about the matter, which went viral on social media.
“Without talking to Micah, I need to figure out what he was doing and why he was doing it,” Schottenheimer said during the conference call, per ESPN. “So until I talk to him, I’m obviously not going to talk about it.”
Parsons posted on social media after the game a quote-tweet of WFAA’s Mike Leslie’s post that said the player was on the training table for “a relatively short portion of the evening.”
“I’d never disrespect the guys out there fighting for their lives,” said Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowl honoree (2021-24) and two-time first-team All-Pro (2021, 2022).
Schottenheimer said an MRI on Parsons’ back on Friday was “pretty clean” after Parsons had mentioned back tightness at minicamp in June. The coach expects Parsons to be ready to play for the season opener on Sept. 4 against the host Philadelphia Eagles.
“I think (defensive end) is an area that we’re pretty deep,” Schottenheimer said.
It’s the latest episode in an almost daily soap opera between Parsons, who has asked to be traded, and the Cowboys and longtime owner Jerry Jones.
Late Thursday night, Parsons scrubbed the Cowboys from his social media bios and posted what could be considered a farewell video to the organization.
Parsons is in the final year of his contract, which is the fifth-year option teams hold for first-round picks, and the Cowboys could use the franchise tag to retain him in 2026 and ’27. From Jones’ perspective, he considers Parsons essentially under contract for not only 2025, but the next three seasons.
“I can’t imagine anybody sitting out for three years, at all,” Jones said in the interview Friday.
Parsons’ profiles in his Twitter and Instagram pages both tout his Penn State background with a “TBD” now in place of the Cowboys as his employer. And on TikTok, he posted a video that contained a photo gallery of Parsons, in his Cowboys uniform, that contained game photos that could have been taken as the All-Pro both waving goodbye and blowing kisses.
Jones chatted with Michael Irvin on the YouTube channel of the Cowboys legend and detailed what he said was the contract offer to Parsons, which would have made the defensive star the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
“Nobody appreciates Micah Parsons more than the Cowboys or me,” Jones said. “Nobody has ever offered him more money than I have to play football. Period.”
Parsons and Jones met earlier this year to discuss contract parameters, among other things. Jones has said the two had a deal in place. Parsons has said it was the framework for discussions between Jones and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta.
“When we wanted to send the details to the agent, the agent told us to stick it up our a–,” Jones said. “Just so you’re clear.”
It was not clear when the Cowboys contacted Mulugheta, whether it was soon after the meeting or since Parsons publicly requested a trade Aug. 1 as his relationship with the front office continued to diminish.
Parsons attended training camp but did not participate, and the video has only stirred speculation that he will sit out the season and sacrifice his huge pay raise for 2025.
The Cowboys selected Parsons with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2021 draft, and he signed a four-year, $17.1 million contract. The Cowboys picked up his fifth-year, $24.007 million option for this season.
BUCS S SHILO SANDERS EJECTED FOR THROWING PUNCH AT BILLS PLAYER
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie safety Shilo Sanders was ejected from the home preseason game on Saturday night against Buffalo after taking a swing at Bills tight end Zach Richardson.
Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and older brother of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, was tangling with Davidson, who was blocking him well away from the play and down the field and appeared to make contact with the safety’s facemask when Sanders retaliated.
“You can’t throw punches in this league,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said after the team’s 23-19 defeat. “That was inexcusable. They’re gonna get you every time.”
Sanders was disqualified on a play that started at the 6:59 mark of the second quarter, when Bills quarterback Shane Buechele completed a 1-yard pass to Elijah Moore to the Tampa Bay 23.
Now with first and 10 at the Tampa 11 after the penalty, Buechele connected with Tyrell Shavers for an 11-yard touchdown for a 14-3 advantage.
Shilo Sanders, who was an undrafted free agent, played two seasons at Colorado and in 2019-20 at South Carolina and totaled 170 tackles, four TFL, one sack, one interception, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 34 games. He also played in 2021 and 2022 at Jackson State with his brother for their father.
BRANDON BEANE GIVES CAUTIOUS UPDATE ON TRE’DAVIOUS INJURY AS BILLS FACE CB CONCERNS
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Saturday that cornerback Tre’Davious White is being treated for a lower-leg injury, but offered no timeline for his return, leaving questions about the team’s secondary depth heading into the regular season.
White sustained the injury in practice Thursday at Highmark Stadium, where he needed help leaving the field before being taken to the locker room on a cart. Beane described the setback in a pregame television interview with WIVB-TV Saturday as “a little lower leg injury,” adding only that the 31-year-old was receiving treatment and that the team “hopefully” would get him back soon.
Buffalo is already without first-round rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who is sidelined with a knee injury. White had been penciled in opposite Christian Benford as part of the starting unit, making his latest setback a significant concern with final roster cuts looming Tuesday.
A two-time Pro Bowler, White has battled major lower-body injuries in recent years, including a torn ACL in 2021 and a ruptured Achilles in 2023. After brief stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens last season, he re-signed with Buffalo in April to provide veteran stability in the secondary.
REPORT: NFL FINES RAMS S TANNER INGLE FOR HIT ON CHARGERS’ QUENTIN JOHNSTON
The NFL has fined Los Angeles Rams safety Tanner Ingle $4,666 for his hit that gave Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston a concussion in an Aug. 16 preseason game, NFL Network reported on Saturday.
Johnston was injured on an incomplete deep sideline pass from quarterback Justin Herbert when Ingle hit him on the third play from scrimmage of the Rams’ 23-22 victory. Johnston lay on his back with his arms outstretched and was motionless for several moments at SoFi Stadium. Johnston eventually moved his arms and legs, then sat up and walked to the medical cart that took him off the field
Ingle, 25, had nine tackles in the Rams’ 19-17 loss on Saturday to the host Cleveland Browns in their preseason finale.
He was an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State who spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons on the Rams’ practice squad and signed a futures contract for the 2025 season on Jan. 20.
NFL PRESEASON ROUNDUP: RAVENS WRECK COMMANDERS TO FINISH 3-0
The yardage totals were close, but the final was anything but as Baltimore rolled past Washington 30-3 in Landover, Md. on Saturday to complete its NFL preseason a perfect 3-0.
Rasheen Ali and D’Ernest Johnson rumbled for first-half rushing scores, rookie Tyler Loop drilled three long field goals, including a 61-yarder in the fourth quarter, and Keyon Martin returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown late in the second that gave Baltimore a 24-3 lead.
With Jayden Daniels sitting this one out, Washington’s backup quarterbacks failed to distinguish themselves, as Sam Hartman and Josh Johnson combined to throw three interceptions and lead one scoring drive capped off by a Matt Gay 47-yard field goal.
The Ravens open their season with the Bills in Buffalo Sept. 7, while the Commanders (0-3 in the preseason) host the New York Giants that same day.
Colts 41, Bengals 14
Laquon Treadwell paced Indianapolis with 116 yards receiving as Indianapolis (1-2) ran away from host Cincinnati.
Treadwell grabbed six catches on six targets, including a 59-yard scoring play from Riley Leonard at the end of the second quarter.
Leonard, a rookie out of Notre Dame, completed 15 of 20 passes for 189 yards, while Daniel Scott returned an interception for a 35-yard touchdown to hand the Colts an early 10-0 lead. Ulysses Bentley IV had two scoring runs.
The Bengals (1-2) had little to smile about with just 228 total yards and a pair of turnovers. Desmond Ridder and Quali Conley scored on the ground.
Browns 19, Rams 17
Recently tabbed for the starting role, quarterback Joe Flacco completed 9 of 10 passes for 71 yards and a 15-yard touchdown to Harold Fannin Jr. as host Cleveland defeated Los Angeles.
Dillon Gabriel threw for 129 yards in relief and connected with Gage Larvadain for a 3-yard score, while Andre Szmyt hit a 37-yard field goal at the gun to help the Browns finish the preseason 3-0.
The Rams (2-1) had taken their first lead of the game with 2:03 to play on a 2-yard Jordan Waters run. That capped a 77-yard drive directed by second-year player Dresser Winn.
Texans 26, Lions 7
Young passers Graham Mertz and Kedon Slovis combined for 256 yards through the air and a touchdown apiece as Houston handled host Detroit (1-3).
A Woody Marks 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Texans (2-1) a 10-7 lead. After short scoring passes by Mertz and Slovis, Ka’imi Fairbairn hit a 48-yard field goal to complete the scoring.
Detroit’s touchdown came via a Kyle Allen 33-yard pass to Isaac TeSlaa in the first quarter.
Broncos 28, Saints 19
In head coach Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans, Denver cruised past the Saints.
Bo Nix (110 yards) helped lead the Broncos (3-0) to a 16-9 halftime advantage, connecting with Courtland Sutton on a 19-yard touchdown pass. Will Lutz, also celebrating his return to his former stomping grounds, went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts.
Blake Grupe responded with four makes for New Orleans (0-2-1). Tyler Shough may have gained the advantage in the quarterback competition, getting more playing time than Spencer Rattler and scoring on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter.
RAIDERS BACKUP QB AIDAN O’CONNELL BREAKS WRIST, EXPECTED TO BE OUT 6-8 WEEKS
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell fractured his right wrist during Saturday’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals and is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.
Coach Pete Carroll confirmed the injury after the 20-10 loss to the Cardinals.
“He fractured his wrist — he’s hurt — it’s going to be a while,” Carroll said. “That’s a big blow for us.”
O’Connell left the game in the second quarter and didn’t return. He completed 3 of 4 passes for 36 yards before the injury.
O’Connell has started 17 games over the past two seasons, including seven games in 2024. He threw for 1,612 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions last year.
The Raiders played two other quarterbacks on Saturday — starter Geno Smith and rookie Cam Miller. Carroll said it’s too early to tell if Miller will be elevated to the No. 2 spot, adding that he needed to look at film to see how he performed.
Miller finished 12 of 24 passing for 102 yards on Saturday. He was a sixth round pick out of North Dakota State.
