Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons learned a hard lesson on social media Thursday: think and read before you tweet.
After initially questioning the release of WNBA player Brittney Griner’s release from a Russian prison while former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan remains locked up and then criticizing President Joe Biden, he walked them back after getting more information and offered an apology.
But it didn’t prevent the Cowboys superstar, who can no wrong on the field, from getting skewered on social media for his initial takes.
Parsons originally reacted to the news of Griner’‘s release on Thursday morning with a tweet that said “Wait nah!! We left a marine?!! Hell nah.”
He followed that up with a now-deleted retweet of President Biden’s announcement where Mr. Parsons said, “We still not voting for you!”
The blow back came fast and furious like Parsons sacking the quarterback off the edge.
He then started tempering his tweets.
“My last tweet was no shot at Brittney Griner,” Parsons tweeted. “I’m super happy she’s back home as she should be. I just have family who have served and it’s crazy to me the President wouldn’t bring him home too. I’m the furthest thing from a trump supporter but I’m not a fan of Biden either.”
Parsons then began a full backpedal on Twitter after getting educated on the situation.
then the best outcome was accomplished. I pray Mr. Whelan comes home but am extremely happy for Brittney and her family. I am not too prideful to admit when I’ve made a mistake.
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) December 8, 2022
“Just spoke to some people that I respect and trust,” Parsons tweeted. “I should have been more educated on the topic and not tweeted out of emotion for my family and other who have served. For that I apologize.
Also if what I’m told about the attempts to bring Ret Marine Paul Whelan home are true then the best outcome was accomplished. I pray Mr. Whelan comes home but am extremely happy for Brittney and her family. I am not too prideful to admit when I’ve made a mistake.”
Biden and the U.S. reportedly attempted to swap Bout for both Griner and Whelan, but the deal Russian officials would consider only involved the WNBA star.
Whelan, who has been in captivity for almost four years, is serving a 16-year sentence after being accused of espionage by Russia.
Parsons gained a few viral nicknames in the process, including Pass Rush Limbaugh, while becoming the talk of the Cowboys locker room and the social media world.
Quarterback Dak Prescott started smiling when asked during his press conference on Thursday if he ever got used to the circus surrounding the Cowboys.
“I think of it as a circus. Ahh, yeah, so I mean, go ahead, what’s following that one?,” Prescott asked before Parsons name was brought up.
“I woke up and saw the same tweets,” Prescott continued.
Did you call Parsons?
“No I did not. No I did not,” Prescott said. “I mean obviously I’ve talked to him. He seems educated what he’s talking about so I damn sure give him that. For me, obviously happy Brittney Griner is home. But as I said, Micah seems educated in the conversation with me what he’s talking about. I can’t say that I’m very educated in what’s going on beyond Brittney Griner coming home, who else was traded, this, this and that.
And I don’t speak on something, I don’t feel confident enough to talk about with knowledge. So I’ll leave it to Micah.”
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was even more diplomatic.
“I think like everybody, just glad Brittney is home,” McCarthy said. “That’s really the most important part of it. As far as getting into political opinions and so forth, this isn’t the platform where I believe you discuss those. But thank God she’s home.”