On the 13th floor of the Warner Bros. Discovery offices in downtown Manhattan, Micah Parsons walked into a large co-working space where the Dallas Cowboys star received the kind of strong applause that he typically only experiences when he’s on the football field.
More than 100 WBD and Bleacher Report staffers were in attendance for the fireside chat event that christened Parsons as the new president of B/R Gridiron, one of the top digital publishers of NFL content. The menacing linebacker used the moment to push his WBD coworkers and direct reports to go above and beyond in their roles, offering a similar sentiment as he does with his teammates. Instead, this time in an office, not a locker room.
“I have a no excuse rule, you’re either a go-getter or you’re not,” Parsons said from his new office on the sixth floor. “If you’re just doing what’s enough, you’ll never be great.”
Parsons, who has his own business cards and an office badge, is bringing his relentless mentality to his new consultant role where he will provide unique insight while helping B/R Gridiron develop a content strategy that feels authentic from a player perspective. His touch will be felt on everything from the social media footprint to the Bleacher Report app.
It’s a natural extension for Parsons, who already collaborates with Bleacher Report as the host of his podcast The Edge, which is heading into its second season. This new notch on his resume, which came as part of a contract extension he signed with the WBD subsidiary, makes Parsons the first active athlete to hold a leadership position at a major sports media company.
“The player-to-fan interaction is more prevalent than ever,” Tyler Price, head of content at Bleacher Report, said in an interview. “There’s less barriers between the two, so adding a player’s perspective is part of the authentic fan experience nowadays.”
Parsons, who will conduct four quarterly reviews with his roughly 10 direct reports, also is spearheading the launch of another football podcast show with a different NFLer. With a short list of potential candidates, he’s already in the process of finding another big NFL personality who is authentic and doesn’t shy away from speaking their mind.
“The biggest thing is just having the bravery to say it,” Parsons said. “I think I’ve established something; you’re starting to see it with different players across other platforms. I just think we need to keep giving [young players] a platform and a chance for them to speak.”
Parsons’ current day job is to hunt quarterbacks, but one day it may be to find and nourish media talent. As he gets his first taste of media management, he’s not sure where his post-football career media dreams will take him yet. What’s certain is the former Penn State star rejects any notion that pro athletes should only focus on their sport out of fear of appearing not committed. Even at age 25, Parsons is preparing for life after football.
“I’m trying to be the greatest of all time and get up out of there quick,” he told the room of staffers on May 14. “I got about six or seven years left, to be completely honest. This isn’t for me forever.”
Parsons says he doesn’t have angst toward traditional media but finds athlete-driven content as a prime vehicle to speak unfiltered and comfortably. He wants to be a leading example for other pros to empower themselves and control the narrative instead of allowing journalists and pundits to misquote them or spin it in a negative way.
“If a guy who has never played the game at a high level can go on and talk about what we do, then a player who’s at that level can talk about what we do,” he said. “The [players] are the draw.”
Parsons, who recorded a career-high 14 sacks last season, is planning to attend voluntary workouts (OTAs) this week as he gets prepares for his fourth NFL season. The two-time All-Pro linebacker is determined to help the Cowboys end their longtime playoff woes.
And when he isn’t focused on how he will dismantle opposing offenses, he’ll step back into focusing on his media ambitions and diving into a season of The Edge this fall. He made it clear in front of WBD staff that his burning goal is to have the No. 1 podcast in the nation.
He’s bringing his contagious energy to his new role at WBD, where he jokingly promised to vouch for a work-from-home policy on Fridays if the Cowboys win the Super Bowl. In the meantime, he’s demanding excellence from his corporate coworkers and direct reports to achieve his lofty goal off the field.
“We’re not No.1 yet,” he said. “So, there’s no reason to be comfortable.”
