The first domino that led to Dallas Cowboys three-time All-Pro Micah Parsonsdeciding to "just eat the fine" and skip NFL-mandated media sessions was Parsons' attempt to say he cared more about the future of Hall of Fame right guard Zack Martin than head coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching future.

After the Cowboys lost their fourth consecutive game on Sunday to the Eagles, Parsons noted he wanted to win for Martin and other veterans. Parsons was talking about Martin and also mentioned coach Mike McCarthy’s own job status, which set off a firestorm of criticism toward the linebacker.

It was Parsons’ words, not his play, that stole the spotlight. Parsons was asked after the game about the job status of head coach Mike McCarthy, which is understandably a topic of interest as the Cowboys fell to 3-6 in McCarthy’s final year of his contract.