Cowboys' Micah Parsons: I'd Play with Illness Even If I Was 'Pooping My Pants'

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons said he wasn't going to let an illness keep him from playing in Monday night's 23-16 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

"I'm here to play. I'm here to be great," Parsons told reporters. "I could have a stomach virus. I could be pooping my pants, and I still want to play. I don't want to be held back. I live to play the game. Me at 60 [percent] is better than most people at 100 [percent]. I just wanna play."

The 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year played 83 percent of the defensive snaps against the Giants but failed to make his usual high-end impact. He recorded one assisted tackle and two quarterback hits, per Pro Football Reference.

Parsons was listed as questionable going into the Week 3 contest after missing practice Thursday and Friday. He returned to a limited session Saturday.

He posted a GIF from Michael Jordan's famous 1997 Flu Game on Saturday:

Although Parsons, who tallied four sacks through the first two games, fell short of his typical impact, the Cowboys defense still played well. The unit held the Giants to just one touchdown and a 3-of-11 mark on third down.

The 23-year-old Penn State product will likely be closer to full strength by the time Dallas (2-1) battles the Washington Commanders (1-2) at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.