Packers’ Micah Parsons Bracing For Fine After Ripping NFL Officials
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Micah Parsons returned to Dallas on Sunday.
Green Bay Packers star pass rusher Micah Parsons joined the team right before the season after a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys.
Through five games in Green Bay, Parsons has just 11 total tackles with 2.5 sacks. Through the first three games of the year, the four-time Pro Bowler had just half a sack in a surprising turn of events.
On Thursday, Parsons sounded off and expressed his frustration with the NFL officiating. The comments were far and wide, but they focused on the one-sided officiating, as he hopes the referees can make the same calls for both sides of the ball.
They don’t call offsides for offense, but they’ll call it on defense,” Parsons said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “They won’t call offensive pass interference, but they’ll call defensive pass interference. We know what they’re trying to do. They want to load the points up so fans can be happy. They’ll call defensive holding, but they won’t call offensive holding. Let’s just wake up.”
Micah Parsons Says He ‘Might’ Get Fined
GettyMicah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers.
Parsons spoke in great detail about his displeasure with the officials. While doing so, he questioned the officials penalizing defenders for leading with their helmets while saying offensive players also do the same thing.
And, Parsons says he “might get fined” for these comments on Thursday.
“You want to fine guys for putting their head down [and leading with the helmet], but you can be engaged with an offensive tackle and a guard can put his head right into your head,” Parsons commented. “What are we talking about here?”
“Look at how many times that’s on film, guys putting their head down and trying to come clean your clock,” Parsons added. “But you can’t do that to offensive players. S***. You’ll get a $50,000 fine. I might get a fine for this [news] conference.”
“I might get a fine for this (press) conference.”
#Packers EDGE rusher Micah Parsons feels there’s a lot of rules to protect players on offense, but that’s not happening for the defense.
The Packers star continued and said they need to “protect all players” and not just keep it on one side of the ball.
Matt LaFleur Hoping For a Change
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he would speak to the officials on Sunday before the game against the Arizona Cardinals.
“That’s definitely a conversation pregame,” LaFleur said. The Packers coach said on Monday that Parsons is “frustrated by it,” per Zach Kruse of Packers Wire.
However, Parsons doesn’t expect anything to come out of it.
“Nah, I don’t think it matters,” Parsons said. “The refs are going to call what they call. All we can do is just hope we get called a fair game. I don’t care what the fans want sometimes. If your team holds, they should get better tackles, better guards. Don’t blame that on us.”
Green Bay has had just six holding penalties called against the opponents this season, and Parsons leads the league with 4.6 pressures per game, according to ESPN.
In the last game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Flacco had 46 dropbacks, but the Bengals weren’t called for a single holding penalty.
At this rate, Parsons is beyond frustrated, and there could very likely be fines coming his way.
BREAKING: 49ers’ Mac Jones to start again as Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall ruled out vs. Falcons
The San Francisco 49ers will again turn to backup quarterback Mac Jones with starter Brock Purdy out for Sunday's matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday.
Purdy continues to recover from a lingering toe injury that he aggravated in Week 4. Jones, who has gone 2-2 as a starter this season, will make his fifth consecutive start after returning to full practice participation late in the week.
Meanwhile, Ricky Pearsall will miss his third straight game with a sprained knee.
The 49ers received better news elsewhere on offense, with tight end George Kittle cleared to return from a hamstring injury that had kept him sidelined since Week 1. Shanahan said Kittle will have "no pitch count" in his return.
"George has rehabbed really well, came back 100 percent, had a good week of practice," Shanahan said.
Despite a rash of injuries to key players, including season-enders for defensive stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, San Francisco enters Week 7 with a 4-2 record and tied for first in the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
Shanahan said the team hopes to have Purdy back "soon" after he practiced each day this week.
"He was able to get out there, throw more," Shanahan said of Purdy on Friday. "Thought it was definitely a step further ahead than it was last week, so going in the right direction."
--Field Level Media
