One element of the conversation surrounding the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night was bound to focus on Micah Parsons. The superstar defender made his return to the field after missing four games due to an ankle injury. Parsons had a productive return. He had two sacks while only playing 54 percent of the defensive snaps as the Cowboys eased him back into action.

But that’s not why people were talking about Parsons in the 24 hours after the game. It was Parsons’ words, not his play, that stole the spotlight.

Parsons was asked after the game about the job status of head coach Mike McCarthy, which is understandably a topic of interest as the Cowboys fell to 3-6 in McCarthy’s final year of his contract. Here is Parsons’ complete answer.

“That’s above my pay grade about if Mike is coaching again next year,” Parsons said. “All coaching aside, Mike can leave and go wherever he wants, but guys I kind of feel bad for (are) guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on their last year or on their way out, because that’s who I wanted to hold the trophy for. You want to win games and do great things with those type of legends who put in more time and work than Mike McCarthy ever did. Those are the kind of guys that I have so much sympathy and hurt for.”

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said he and Micah Parsons had a conversation today about this comment.

McCarthy said, “That wasn’t his intent.”

(Video: ⁦@dallascowboys⁩) pic.twitter.com/pxTlIQCKI0

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 11, 2024

That’s the full quote, in its full context. Parsons took to X on Monday morning and was displeased with the reaction it was getting around the sports world, particularly at ESPN from former NFL offensive lineman Damien Woody and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan. Parsons said it was “nasty work” how people “twist words and flip them around for content.” It’s a sentiment he reiterated on his podcast, “The Edge with Micah Parsons” on Bleacher Report.

Two things can be true: Parsons’ words were not twisted and taken out of context, and he didn’t intend for them to send the message that they ultimately did. The line in his original answer that raised the most eyebrows is “who put in more time and work than Mike McCarthy ever did.” After listening to the first 11 minutes of his podcast, in which he detailed his intent, it’s clear that Parsons is making a bad comparison in his answer by lumping players and coaches into one breath. What Parsons is talking about is the mortality of an NFL career for a player, which is far shorter for a player than a coach and much less on the individual’s own terms. In that sense, Parsons isn’t wrong.

But those that took it as a disrespectful slight — fans, pundits, former coaches and players, etc. — at McCarthy aren’t completely out of bounds, either. Even in its full context, Parsons’ answer looks bad. Coaches have to put in “time and work,” too, and Parsons called McCarthy’s work ethic into question. That’s why it was a topic on sports shows around the country Monday. That’s why it required Parsons and McCarthy to meet and make sure the true intent was clear to everybody involved.

“Micah and I had a conversation this morning about it,” McCarthy said. “Handled those things as men should handle it. … We’ve just got to keep it about football and bear down on the things we know we need to improve on, build on some of the thing we felt like we got better throughout these games coming out of the bye. These are the things you need to eliminate from your culture. Conversations bring resolution. I think this is an example of that.”

In the end, Parsons’ comments became a distraction. They were the center of the first question McCarthy answered Monday, and almost half of Parsons’ podcast, too. I believe Parsons when he says he didn’t intend for them to be as flagrant as they were taken but nobody twisted his words. Parsons is responsible for that.

Impact of the sun

As soon as McCarthy walked up to the podium Monday afternoon at around 3 p.m., he glanced to his right and saw a shade that was put in place by a local TV station to block the sun from disrupting the lighting and getting in McCarthy’s eyes.

“Is that for the sun,” McCarthy said, with a smile.

There’s something here in the press conference room today to block the sun from being directly in the coach’s eyes as he speaks. Interesting concept. pic.twitter.com/XhvyAegb0t

— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) November 11, 2024

Later, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer stepped to the podium and made a remark about the shade, too. Schottenheimer also fielded a question about the affect of the sun on calling plays during the game. He said it’s more of a consideration for the coaches than the players.

“The players don’t think about it,” Schottenheimer said. “They have to go play. It’s more of us (coaches) in our conversations on Friday.”

The Cowboys did have conversations in the days leading up to Sunday about the impact the sun would have on game day. Although the throw from Cooper Rush to CeeDee Lamb in the end zone that fell incomplete has gotten the most attention, the sun seemed to clearly be a factor for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, too. Hurts was sacked five times and threw an interception in the first half when the sun was shining on the field. The pass attempts went down from 13 in the first half to nine in the second half between Hurts and backup quarterback Kenny Pickett but neither player was sacked or threw an interception in the second half, when the sun was a non-factor.

Here’s what The Athletic’s Jon Machota had to say Monday on the “Rich Eisen Show” about the sun and what Jerry Jones said about it:

💻 @jonmachota

How bad is it for the #DallasCowboys right now — we’re really out here talking about the sun playing a factor in Sunday’s beatdown by #FlyEaglesFly:#NFL @kirkmorrison pic.twitter.com/kwm3kTQ1JB

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) November 11, 2024

Cooper Rush remains the starter

McCarthy was asked who the starting quarterback would be this week against the Houston Texans between Rush and Trey Lance. McCarthy expressed his confidence in Rush and named him the starter. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Lance incorporated in the game plan a little more. Rush’s 5-1 record prior to Sunday has understandably earned him some rope, and it’s fair to assess the loss on Sunday as a failure on many parts of the team. Still, if Rush doesn’t improve as the weeks go on, seeing Lance start at some point isn’t out of the question.

The Cowboys plan to sign Will Grier this week and add him to the practice squad as the third quarterback. Grier was previously with the team in 2023 and cut after the preseason following the Cowboys’ trade for Lance.

Injury updates

As expected, Dak Prescott will have season-ending surgery on his hamstring, Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning. Jones said the surgery will take place Wednesday.

It’s very early in the week but things don’t appear encouraging for DaRon Bland to make his season debut this week. He was on track to play a few weeks ago against the Detroit Lions but suffered a setback and hasn’t practiced since. He’s expected to begin this week in the rehab group. DeMarcus Lawrence is also not close to returning.

In positive news, early signs point to DeMarvion Overshown dodging anything serious when he went down with a knee injury Sunday. Tyler Guyton should be good to go as well, though he has struggled this season and Asim Richards looked solid at left tackle in his place.

What they’re saying about the Cowboys

• Josh Kendall’s weekly Power Rankings: How far did Dallas fall after loss to Eagles?

• Dane Brugler’s updated top 50 big board: If the Cowboys wind up with a top-10 pick, who are the top prospects?

• Jeff Howe’s QB stock report: With Dak out, where did Cooper Rush rank among starters?

(Photo of Micah Parsons: Tim Heitman / Imagn Images)