Texas isn't a one-star NFL state these days. It's packed with stars.
One of the youngest, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, is at a point in his stardom where he doesn't shy away from poking fun at some of his state's biggest rivals. During an interview with Boardroom, Stroud addressed Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons.
“He has some terrible shots,” Stroud said. “But he's also a great friend of mine. I have nothing but good things to say about him, other than his shots.”
Stroud appeared to be referencing opinions Parsons began offering on his podcast, “The Edge,” beginning last football season.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
CJ Stroud of the Houston Texans drops back to throw against the Cleveland Browns during the first half of an AFC Wild Card playoff game at NRG Stadium on Jan. 13, 2024, in Houston. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Parsons' podcast was so successful last year that he's doing it again this year. He was even promoted to an executive position at Bleacher Report. In May, Parsons took over as president of Bleacher Report's Gridiron division, which focuses on the company's creative football content.
Parsons had a handful of unique takes on the podcast last year.
In a September episode, while discussing Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship, Parsons encouraged other NFL players to pursue relationships with high-status famous women and specifically named Zendaya as someone players should look out for. He said this despite Zendaya being in a long-term relationship with actor Tom Holland since 2021.
After the Cowboys' 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in December, Parsons argued that several NFL television analysts are rooting for his team to “fail.”
“Former players are waiting for other current players to fail, so they can have something to talk about,” he said. “It's not even about mentioning names. I mean, I feel like, at this point, you know who you are. Why do you want someone to lose so badly? It seems like a lot of people are just waiting for people to fail.”
TRAVIS KELCE BUYS A STAKE IN A RACEHORSE CALLED SWIFT DELIVERY
Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys before a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on August 11, 2024, in Inglewood, California. (Ronald Martínez/Getty Images)
Before the wild-card round of the playoffs in January, Parsons attempted to predict every winner of that weekend's six playoff games. Parsons went 2-4 in those predictions, which included a prediction that his Cowboys would beat the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay won 48-32 in Dallas.
The podcast drew criticism from Parsons' Cowboys teammate, safety Malik Hooker, on June 27. Hooker criticized Parsons during a podcast appearance of his own when he was a guest on the “All Facts No Brakes” podcast with former Pro Bowl receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
“My advice to Micah would be: Just make sure everything is right and your feet are where they are,” Hooker said on June 27. “Because if we're coaching and the run game is terrible, but you're doing a podcast every week, and you know the run game is terrible, then what do you really care about? Do you care about the crowd that's watching your podcast or do you care about the success of our team and the Super Bowl that we're trying to get to?”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
CJ Stroud and Micah Parsons attend a game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2024 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2024, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Parsons has insisted he will continue to do the podcast and that it will not be a distraction to his team, adding that he is not trying to be controversial with what he says.
“I don't think anyone really cares what I do on a Monday afternoon when I'm home with my kids,” Parsons told reporters on Aug. 21. “So why would they care if I'm on Xbox? I think we all have our own free time. When they're away from here, do they think about me at home? I hope not.”
“I try not to say anything controversial, but everyone is always going to be drawn to something. They're going to try to stick with one thing. We all have opinions. We're not going to agree with what everyone says. That's life.”
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on Xand subscribe to The Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
