Earlier this week, the NFL world was shaken when the Dallas Cowboys traded superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. It was a blockbuster move, as Parsons is one of the league’s top players.
But before becoming an NFL star, Parsons played at Penn State under head coach James Franklin, who recently shared his thoughts on the trade.
James Franklin Reveals Thoughts on Micah Parsons Trade
Franklin coached Parsons for two seasons at Penn State in 2018 and 2019. Parsons played a hybrid role in Franklin’s defense, mostly as an off-ball linebacker rather than the every-down defensive end he is in the NFL.
Even in that role, he was dominant. He finished his college career with 192 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks, which helped him become the Dallas Cowboys’ 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
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Micah Parsons – Penn State pic.twitter.com/pWRVvPr0nW
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Parsons spent four seasons with Dallas but was involved in a contract dispute all offseason, ultimately leading to his trade to Green Bay. He signed a four-year, $188 million extension with the Packers.
Franklin discussed the entire saga in an interview with CBS Sports, explaining that he and Parsons remain close and that he reached out to Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to talk about his former star.
“He’s a dynamic player, the Packers made the trade for a reason.”
Penn State coach James Franklin just revealed he’s spoken to Micah Parsons after the trade
AND
He’s already spoken to the Packers defensive coordinator about the addition 👀 pic.twitter.com/8iVQ2ul9PF
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“We’re still very close,” Franklin said. “We text or talk often. I actually talked to the defensive coordinator of the Packers the other day. We had a conversation after everything went down. But he’s a dynamic player, right? They drafted him for a reason, and now obviously the Packers made the trade for a reason.”
Not only does Franklin have a connection to the three-time All-Pro pass rusher, but he also has ties to Parsons’ new team. Franklin served as a wide receivers coach for the Packers in 2005 and believes Green Bay has a culture similar to Penn State’s Happy Valley.
“I’m an old Green Bay guy, I spent time with the Packers as the receivers coach,” Franklin said. “I think he’s really going to enjoy it. It’s a lot like Happy Valley, State College, Pennsylvania. Very much a college-type town, and I think he’s going to thrive there.”
Even four years after coaching Parsons at Penn State, it’s clear that Franklin still values his relationship with his former player and is excited to watch him continue to dominate in the NFL with Green Bay.
Franklin is one of college football’s top coaches, and players love playing for him. Listening to how highly he speaks about Parsons makes it easy to see why.
As Parsons prepares for the Packers’ NFL season opener against the new division rival Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 7, Franklin and the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions open the college season on Saturday against unranked Nevada at 3:30 ET on CBS and Paramount+.
