FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys trading All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers sent a ripple throughout the National Football League.

The stunning trade also opened up the rumor mill about Parsons with Sports Illustrated reporting some of the 26-year-old’s Cowboys teammates viewed the four-time Pro Bowler as “egotistical and self-centered.”  Both Dallas All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs denounced those rumors after practice on Monday.

“That’s my dawg, man. He knows it. I expressed it to him just about every week I could, so I feel like he knows where we stand as far as brotherhood, friendship and all that,” Lamb said Monday. “So obviously wishing him the best. Hope he has the best season ever. He’s Micah Parsons you know what I’m saying? He’s unblockable. He’s unstoppable, so I hope he terrorizes those guys [in the NFC North] over there [with the Packers].”

When confronted directly with the question about the validity of the chatter regarding Cowboys teammates being happy to see him go from the SI report, Lamb disputed the report.

“Yes,” Lamb said when asked if everyone loved Micah. “In my eyes, from what I’ve seen, yes. …. Honestly, it sucked [losing Parsons]. A lot of people on the team, I mean we’re really close with Micah, and he was really good with a lot of people you know what I’m saying? He can relate to a lot of people. Him as a competitor, him as a player, him as a brother, him as a friend.”

Diggs felt “everyone” in Dallas’ current locker room liked Parsons, and he indicated the fuel for those rumors likely came from former Cowboys. Even though the 2021 interceptions leader didn’t name names, it was pretty clear Diggs was referring to former Cowboys four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. Lawrence departed for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason after signing a three-year, $32.5 million following 11 seasons in Dallas. Parsons and Lawrence had a public spat on Twitter back in March after Lawrence posted about the Cowboys’ problems contending for a Super Bowl while directly criticizing Parsons’ work ethic and time on social media.

“I think everyone liked him. I feel like there were some former players who are not here no more [who didn’t like Parsons]. There was a lot of, I would say, hate, jealousy, envy towards him because of who he is and the production he does on the field,” Diggs said Monday. “Imagine if you come in here and you’re taking somebody’s shine or taking somebody’s spot, you’re not going to like that. They’re gonna feel a type of way, especially if you’re that type of person.”

Of anyone on the Cowboys, Diggs was Parsons’ closest friend. He was Parsons’ personal spokesman following his last game with Dallas, the preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons. They each supported each other through difficult injury rehab stints, and Diggs credited Parsons’ for helping him improve his own work ethic. The Pro Bowl cornerback also joined Parsons and his family at Parsons’ house to celebrate the news of him becoming the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback after agreeing to a four-year, $186 million extension with $136 million guaranteed.

“Me personally, I never got no bad anything from him, like, ever, ever since he stepped foot on the team. I guess his personality and who he is, he knows he’s a great player, he knows he’s good, he knows who he is. So, a lot of people don’t like that,” Diggs continued. “So that could’ve been different. But when we’re in the locker room, everyone’s joking, everyone’s laughing, everyone’s smiling, everyone’s happy. So I don’t know where those narratives came from. From my standpoint, he’s a great kid. He takes care of his family, takes care of his responsibilities on the field, and off the field, so he can’t do any wrong in my eyes.”

Some Cowboys fans on social media have taken owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ side over Parsons after Jones explained his side of the story regarding the negotiations. However, Lamb, who held out of Dallas’ entire offseason program last year before re-signing on a four-year, $136 million extension, advised people to consider the totality that is the business of football.

“I learned that last year, and obviously you only can go off your own experience. A lot of people won’t even realize half of what’s going on, and I understand you want to think about the team,” Lamb said when asked if the trade of Parsons’ reminded him how much of a business the NFL is. “You want to think about everything else, but man, you got to take care of your family first. This is his first big contract, and I feel like he needs to get everything he deserves, and he did. Shout out [to] him for that.”

Even though Lamb, from personal experience, knows anything can happen in a negotiation with Jerry Jones, he still believed Parsons was going to figure it out and remain in Dallas.

“Some knew more than others. I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know what was going on. I just assumed that he was going to get a phone call that he was going to be coming back here and that he was going to get paid,” Lamb said.

It feels like a lifetime has gone by since the Cowboys traded Parsons to Green Bay on Aug. 28, but only seven days will have passed between the transaction and Dallas kicking off the 2025 NFL season at the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles.

“I wouldn’t say it was easy for us to move one nor would I say it’s hard. It’s just, it sucks you know what I’m saying? It’s just a repetitive thought,” Lamb said. “Granted, we did get a great player in [three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle] Kenny Clark, so let’s not override that. But as for Micah being drafted here, I would have loved for him to finish his career with a star on his helmet, but obviously that wasn’t the case.”

Seeing Parsons again soon

However, the Cowboys will soon be reminded of their divorce with Parsons when he returns to AT&T Stadium on Sept. 28 for “Sunday Night Football” with the Packers in Week 4.

“The worst,” Lamb said of having to face Parsons. “It’s going to be weird. It’s going to be conflicting. I hope he is not in the backfield in two seconds. Dead ass.”

Diggs felt like he’ll have better words to express his feelings about that game when the time comes. The two have already planned to swap jerseys postgame.

“I don’t know yet. It’s going to be a little weird,” Diggs said. “I know he’s going to give me his jersey.”

When Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love appeared as a guest on Parsons’ “The Edge with Micah Parsons” podcast prior to Super Bowl LIX, he jokingly floated the idea of Parsons coming to Green Bay. Stunningly, that came to fruition.

Has Parsons already begun to recruit Diggs to the Packers too? The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback just threw his head back and laughed. Sounds like the two will have a lot of catching up to do in Week 4.