Malik Hooker’s recent appearance on Keyshawn Johnson’s podcast has stirred up quite a storm, particularly his comments about teammate Micah Parsons. From questioning Parsons’ in-season podcast activities to suggesting that he needs to prove himself before a big payday, Hooker’s words didn’t sit well with fans. More so, FOX analyst Nick Wright seems to share their sentiment.
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On “First Things First,” Wright and Chris Broussard dove into Hooker’s controversial remarks. Wright initially thought they might be taking things out of context, but after hearing Hooker’s full segment on ‘All Facts No Brakes’, he was taken aback.
“When I originally saw this quote in our rundowns, I thought ut was like ‘are we kind of being a little unfair? Like playing fast loose with it. And then I heard it and I’m like ‘No!’ It is actually the rare quote that listens worse than it reads. I was shocked by it,” Wright remarked.
The crux of Wright’s concern was Hooker’s assertion that Parsons hasn’t yet earned a hefty contract. The star safety suggested that players like CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, and Zach Martin should be prioritized first before the Cowboys consider Parsons, who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Chris Broussard, on the other hand, had a different take on the situation. He argued that Hooker might’ve just gotten too comfortable on the podcast and let his guard down. Although he didn’t think Hooker’s comments were completely off base, the way he presented them made things dicey.
What bothered Broussard even more is how Hooker threw his defensive teammate under the bus. Athletes sharing the same locker room are expected to have each other’s backs. For Broussard and Wright, this feels like a breach of the locker room code. Moreover, Broussard, in a way, agreed with Prescott being first in line for a big payday.
Kevin Wildes Shares a Different Perspective on Hooker’s Comments on Parsons
Subsequently, Kevin Wildes approached the dilemma from a different angle by referencing something Parsons had mentioned earlier during a podcast discussion with CeeDee Lamb. The star linebacker emphasized his intention to elevate his game and demonstrate his full potential to everyone. Therefore, Kevin believes that what Hooker said wasn’t entirely incorrect; he was merely stating the obvious.
“The reason why I’m using that example is because when Micah had his podcast with CeeDee, he like ‘I need to get better. I can take it to another level. I’m going to get more locked in.’ I think there are parallels to what Micah said about himself and what Malik said.” Kevin added.
Wright, however, wasn’t quite convinced by Kevin’s opinion. He waved off Parsons’ self-talk as just typical athlete stuff. Wright asserted that players often discuss these types of aspirations, but it doesn’t imply they’re fine with getting low-balled on their next contract.
The FOX Sports analyst even pinpointed a what-if scenario where Parsons could clap back at Malik Hooker. He could easily point out that Hooker’s been around since 2017 and hasn’t exactly set the league on fire, according to Nick Wright.
The hosts bounced around with ideas about how this might play out. They feel maybe Parsons and Hooker are tight enough to laugh it off, or perhaps this public back-and-forth could put a strain on their relationship. Only time will tell.
