Philadelphia Eagles team captain Jordan Mailata was not embarrassed to admit how much of a load the Micah Parsons trade took off his shoulders.
Parsons’ trade to the Green Bay Packers keeps the former Dallas Cowboys star in the NFC. But the move does mean that the Eagles have to deal with Parsons just once this season instead of twice.
Mailata and his squad would have needed a game plan for Parsons during Thursday’s season opener between the Eagles and Cowboys had the trade not been made.
While speaking to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Mailata summed up the trade in three words, knowing he no longer has to deal with Parsons as a Cowboy on Thursday. He described it as a “sigh of relief.”
“It’s just kind of crazy,” Mailata continued. “The last four or five years we’ve played the Dallas Cowboys, we’ve come up with a game plan [for him] because Micah’s a game wrecker. … However, that is a talented D-line and a talented defense, so you have to treat them with the same respect with or without Micah Parsons.”
Parsons has actually not had much success against the Eagles throughout his career. Dallas has gone 3-4 in the seven games Parsons has played against Philadelphia, largely because the Eagles’ offensive line has kept him mostly in check. He has a combined 14-2 career record against the New York Giants (8-0) and Washington Commanders (6-2), the two other teams in the NFC East.
The four-time Pro Bowler only has eight quarterback hits on Eagles QBs, compared to 13 against the Giants and 15 opposite the Commanders. His sack total against Philly (5.0) is fewer than half of his tally against Washington (10.5). However, those numbers are more of a testament to the Eagles’ stellar O-line than anything.
With Aaron Donald no longer playing, Parsons has a legitimate case to be considered the most impactful defensive player in the NFL today. That’s why Mailata and the rest of the NFC East can finally let out that huge “sigh of relief.”
