Micah Parsons on Dan Quinn: “I’ll go where you go”

Yesterday was a very good day in Cowboys Nation. Dallas improved to 3-1 in the 2022 season and continued the feelgreat story of Cooper Rush’s win streak. But a hidden nugget in the game was a comment from sideline reporter Erin Andrews, who shared something that could be scary for Cowboys fans of superstar linebacker Micah Parsons.

Parsons has been one of the NFL’s shining lights so far this season. Already a star after his sensational rookie year, Parsons is now on the short list for best defensive players in the league and the constant center of attention in every Cowboys game.

Naturally, Parsons was a talking point for the FOX Sports crew throughout Dallas’ Week 4 victory over the Washington Commanders. So was Dan Quinn, the Cowboys defensive coordinator who is currently running one of the most feared defenses in the NFL.

Talking about both men yesterday, Eric Andrews shared this simple yet significant statement from Parsons about Quinn:

“I’ll go where you go.”

Obviously, everyone from Jerry Jones to you and I expect Micah Parsons to be a Cowboy for the next decade and beyond. But what if Dan Quinn winds up taking one of the head coaching jobs that he’s likely to be in the running for over the next few years?

Quinn is currently in the second of the three-year contract he signed to join the Cowboys in 2021. But NFL rules allow coaches to accept a promotion regardless of how many years are left on those deals, so Quinn could become another team’s head coach at any time.

In fact, when Quinn chose not to leave the Cowboys this past offseason, look how Parsons reacted:

Sure, there’s nothing wrong with Parsons’ adoration of Quinn. In fact, it’s part of what makes him the passion-driven player we love to watch. But taken all together, and especially if you take the quote from yesterday literally, it’s something that Cowboys fans should at least consider in the not-so-distant future.

Thankfully, Parsons won’t get to make any big decisions until probably 2026. He’s signed through 2024 on his rookie contract and will almost assuredly be playing on the fifth-year option in 2025.

By then, who knows where Dan Quinn will be? Even if Quinn were to leave Dallas this offseason, three years is plenty of time for him to flame out as a head coach as he did with the Atlanta Falcons.

Quinn’s run in Atlanta could actually work in the Cowboys’ favor. How motivated is he to get back in the big chair? Could he be looking to go the Dick LeBeau route and just be one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinators for the next 10-15 years?

As long as Quinn remains in Dallas, we certainly know he’ll be one of the league’s best-paid coordinators. The Jones family won’t let money be the reason he leaves.

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Also, we can’t dismiss the possibility that the Cowboys’ desire to keep Quinn could eventually lead to Mike McCarthy’s ouster. While McCarthy’s stock is currently rising over the last few weeks, 2020 wasn’t that long ago. Nor was all that recent Sean Payton talk.

If keeping Dan Quinn around as head coach would also secure Micah Parsons’ services for years to come, that’d be a very interesting business decision for Dallas to face.

Am I going overboard here? Is this way too much speculation from one simple comment? Maybe. Probably, even.

But while the “I’ll go where you go” could’ve been entirely hyperbolic, Micah Parsons has shown us that he doesn’t mince words. The kid says what he thinks and then does everything he can to back it up.

We love him for it, but it’s also why we can’t dismiss the comment from yesterday. We see lots of guys on this defense clearly giving their all and willing to run through a brick wall for Dan Quinn.

If Quinn does eventually join another team, what says they won’t keep running?