Micah Parsons Shows Ultimate Disrespect To The Steelers And AFC After Myles Garrett Trade

Pittsburgh Steelers fans have never been shy about showing their disdain for former Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett. Over the last several seasons, there has been an ongoing debate between Steelers star TJ Watt and Garrett over which player was more deserving of the NFL's top individual accolades.

While Watt and Garrett have generally shown respect for one another on the field, Garrett's confidence has often rubbed Steelers fans the wrong way. Even as the Browns endured one losing season after losing season, Garrett never seemed hesitant to remind everyone how dominant he believed he was.

Garrett has also never been quiet about the disrespect he feels he has received throughout his career. Many Steelers faithful would likely argue however, that he has been propped up too much. Neither has one of his biggest supporters, fellow star pass rusher Micah Parsons. Ever since the Watt-versus-Garrett debate gained national attention, Parsons has consistently voiced his opinion that Garrett is the superior player.

Now, after Garrett was shipped from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade, many around the league are already penciling the Rams in as Super Bowl contenders. Of course, things are rarely that simple in the NFL. While speaking with FOX Sports, Parsons couldn't help but weigh in on the state of pass rushers around the league. In doing so, he appeared to downplay the AFC's elite edge rushers while praising the talent in the NFC. In typical Parsons fashion, he managed to insert himself into the conversation and create headlines, all while seemingly taking an indirect shot at Watt and the rest of the AFC's premier pass rushers.

"I would say it's a whole lot different from the NFC versus the AFC and I think everyone knows that ... the AFC is cool, you know, there's a couple sharks," Parsons said. "But, the NFC is shark-infested. It's different football. It's like playoff football every week. There's not really weak opponents in the NFC ... it's going to be exciting to see what we do on Thanksgiving."

First, it's important to note that Parsons did attempt to give some credit to likely Watt and several of the other star pass rushers in the AFC. Still, it's a strange sentiment to hear from someone as intelligent and football-savvy as Parsons.

At the end of the day, elite pass rushers exist in both conferences. The players in the AFC get paid for a reason, and when you really break down the talent, the league is fairly balanced. You could argue that the NFC's group looks a bit more top-heavy after adding Garrett, but Parsons' claim that the conference is overwhelmingly superior feels like a stretch.

Steelers And AFC Have Plenty Of Star Power

In fact, Steelers fans will probably believe Parsons is only saying that because Garrett was just traded to the NFC. Parsons has been one of Garrett's biggest supporters for years, so it's not hard to connect the dots.

The reality is that the AFC remains loaded with elite defenses and game-changing pass rushers. From Watt and the Steelers to several other contenders across the conference, there's plenty of star power on that side of the league. That's why Parsons' statement doesn't make much sense and is likely to draw some pushback from Steelers fans and AFC fans. 

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