2019 will be remembered as the year DeVante Parker found his confidence on the field — and the results that followed were brilliant. Perhaps 2020 will be remembered as the year Parker found his voice off the field. The Dolphins former 1st-round pick (2015) chimed in on social media yesterday, responding to a post that asked whether it would be harder to:
A. Make a catch while guarded by Stephon Gilmore
OR
B. Break up a pass while guarding Saints star receiver Michael Thomas
Parker, of course, posted 8 catches for 137 yards against the Patriots in Week 17 of the 2019 season — and much of that production came against the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Gilmore.
Some well deserved praise for Gilmore, with perhaps a side of shade after Parker’s monstrous performance his AFC East rival in Week 17, all in good fun. That is, of course, until Michael Thomas saw Parker’s comment.
🍿 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/eoXVpJ2QbM
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) May 18, 2020
Thomas is the NFL’s equivalent of Kevin Durant — a supremely talented individual who spends some of his precious free time sparring with strangers and fans on the internet. And Thomas brought plenty of angst and trash talk to his subsequent exchange — not that Parker seemed to be too bothered by any of the chatter. For all of Thomas’ insults, which were especially odd considering Parker didn’t even directly disrespect Thomas is any way, shape or form with his initial comment, Parker’s most emotional response summed up the feeling of plenty football fans reading the exchange:
“Quit crying bra.”