The NFL Honors broadcast had a heavy Cowboys presence right off the bat. Host Kelly Clarkson took the stage in a dress that paid tribute to America’s Team, her opening monologue was peppered with one-liners joking about her lifelong fandom of the team, and then Micah Parsons served as a presenter for the first award of the evening.
Some naturally wondered if it was a setup for the theme to continue with the second piece of hardware handed out. But when the Defensive Player of the Year was announced- just as in the 2022 season- the Cowboys finished as an also-ran.
San Francisco edge rusher Nick Bosa was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. Parsons watched from his seat as the 49ers star accepted the accolade.
The voting totals show that Parsons finished second overall. But he did so without receiving a single first-place vote.
AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting breakdown:
5 points for 1st; 3 points for 2nd; 1 point for 3rd.
First-place votes:
1. Nick Bosa – 46
2. Micah Parsons – 0
3. Chris Jones – 1
4. Haason Reddick – 2
7. Quinnen Williams – 1 pic.twitter.com/fM8Z6JqJyV— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 10, 2023
This year for the first time, the 50 AP voters were asked to cast ballots for their first-, second-, and third-place nominees.
Parsons received 30 second-place votes and 11 third-place votes, good enough to make him one of the the finalists for the award, but never a real threat to take the trophy from the frontrunner Bosa, who got 46 of the 50 first-place votes.
Finalist and third-place finisher Chris Jones of Kansas City and the Jets’ Quinnen Williams each received a first-place vote; Philadelphia’s Haason Reddick earned two.
It’s not difficult to imagine the uber-competitive Parsons adding the lack of first-place votes to his motivational toolbag for the 2023 season.
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