Prescott glad Parsons situation is over: 'Seemed like it got personal'
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wasn't surprised owner and general manager Jerry Jones ultimately decided to trade pass-rusher Micah Parsons.
"Just with the way the negotiations went down, obviously to some extent - I mean, hell, y'all were asking me questions - it seemed like it got personal on their end," Prescott said, according to ESPN's Todd Archer.
Parsons was shipped to the Green Bay Packers for veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks after a long, public battle with the Cowboys' front office over a new contract. The star edge rusher requested a trade Aug. 1 and sat out the majority of training camp.
Parsons recorded four straight seasons of 12-plus sacks in Dallas with two first-team All-Pro nods.
Clark, 29, was selected 27th overall in the 2016 draft and has earned three Pro Bowl nominations during his nine-year career.
"I'm not going to say we're better (following the trade). We've got to go out there and prove it," Prescott said. "We had to prove it even if he was on this team, so I'm not going to say that by any means.
"But I know what adding a guy like Kenny Clark, adding a true leader, a real man that's going to only elevate this team, who's been a Pro Bowl player and is excited about being here (means)."
Prescott and Parsons spent four years together, with the team posting a 43-25 regular-season record during that stretch. However, the duo never saw postseason success, tallying a disappointing 1-2 record in the playoffs.
Parsons' podcast, "The Edge with Micah Parsons," created issues with Prescott and other Cowboys teammates, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. Some Dallas players also saw him as "egotistical and self-centered," according to Breer.
The Cowboys will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in the league's season opener Sept. 4.
"I know our focus right now is Philly," Prescott added. "I think that's everybody's focus in that locker room. I don't think anybody's hung up on (the trade). As I've said, there's enough news and enough media about it.
"I think as much as anything, it's good that a solution happened. Obviously, Micah got paid. He got paid very well, and great for him and his family. And we'll see him here in about a month."
Prescott, 32, is entering Year 10 as Dallas' starting quarterback. He's the highest-paid player in the league after signing a four-year, $240-million extension in 2024.