National Football League

Micah Parsons played RB at Cowboys' camp, and this experiment must continue

Updated Aug. 9, 2024 7:42 p.m. ET

If there's one player you should take with the final pick of your fantasy football draft, please, consider Micah Parsons.

I'm only kind of kidding.

During Dallas Cowboys' training camp practice on Friday, the star pass-rusher spent a few snaps working as a running back, taking at least two carries in a walkthrough. There is officially a non-zero chance we see him take snaps in a game. Now, obviously, let's not expect him to get carries. He was working with backup quarterback Cooper Rush. But I'm saying there's a chance.

It's the quiet part of camp where the entire roster is exhausted. And so, giving a carry to Parsons surely brought a smile onto the faces of Cowboys players. That's important.

But I'm now addressing Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy when I say: this experiment should not stop here. I'm not going to say I need this — but like, NFL fans everywhere do actually need this.

His 40-yard dash is 4.39 seconds. That'll do. He's 6-foot-2 and 244 pounds. My goodness, that'll do. His burst and agility are without question. And maybe he still has a little vision from when he played running back in high school.

That's right: Parsons was a beast at running back as a teenager. In his senior season at Harrisburg High School, Parsons had 1,239 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards and 29 offensive touchdowns.

Obviously, Parsons should secure his contract extension — which he is waiting too patiently for — before taking the field as a running back. But once he has reset the market as the league's best-paid pass-rusher, I'd like to see what he can do as a rusher.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.