Cowboys 6-foot-4 DE Sends Bold Message on Playing Without Micah Parsons

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The Cowboys will have a big expectations for Sam Williams in 2025.

The Dallas Cowboys may no longer have the services of Micah Parsons, but his replacement isn’t worried.

Sam Williams, who Dallas expects to replace Parsons as the primary game-wrecking EDGE, detailed why he thinks the Cowboys are going to still be great even after they traded Parsons last week.

Of course, the Cowboys shocked the sports world by dealing Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for Kenny Clark and two first-round picks Thursday.

In the trade’s aftermath, the football world — including members of the Cowboys alumni — have been piling on football czar Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, who have not won the Super Bowl or even been to the NFC Championship Game since 1995.

What Did Sam Williams Say About Replacing Micah Parsons?

Football players are a famously confident, so Williams’ words aren’t surprising. But given Dallas defense’s struggles in 2024 — and the fact Jones just traded arguably its most disruptive player — Williams’ belief in himself, his teammates and his coaches may inspire cynicism.

“Every day they bring the energy,” Williams said of the defensive coaches, led by defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. “The positions they put us in, I feel like we’re just going to be great. It’s like a blind trust. We can’t see the results until we play.

“I just want us to be ourselves because only we can beat ourselves.”

This is a crucial year for Williams, since the fourth-year EDGE from Ole Miss is on the final year of his rookie contract. He has 8.5 sacks in 32 career games — he’s never made an NFL start — but is coming off a lost 2024 season where he did not play due to a torn ACL and MCL sustained during training camp last July.

But with Parsons gone to Green Bay, Williams is in line to start his first game on national TV against the reigning world-champion Philadelphia Eagles. Between that, and the nearly two-year layoff between regular-season game reps, Williams is chomping at the bit.

“I’m very hungry, but at the same time I’m patient,” Williams said. “I don’t want to get too excited, because that’s where Sam starts making penalties and stuff.

“I just want to be great. I just want to go out there and showcase all the hard work I’ve put in.”

What Did Sam Williams Say About Kenny Clark?

Lost amid all the drama between Parsons and Jones is the fact the Cowboys got a pretty-good roster player from the Packers.

Clark, who will turn 30 on Oct. 4, is a three-time Pro Bowler who has started every game over the past four years.

Though he’s older and less agile than Parsons, Clark could help the Cowboys improve in both run and pass situations. Clark was 85th among 219 qualifying defensive tackles in 2024 according to PFF’s grading (59.3) and was in the top-half in both pass-rush (63.1, 72nd) and run defense (57.1, 83rd) grades.

So Williams is a believer in his new teammate.

“He’s a superstar player,” Williams said. “At the end of the day, we just got to match each other and work as a unit.”

Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens