Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons may be right about NFL’s referees. Also, get over it.

The claim is absurd, and if it came from nearly any other player in the NFL you could throw it in the garbage can.

When Micah Parsons says he is held by opposing offensive linemen, tight ends or fullbacks, on most plays this is not a Presidential campaign-caliber exaggeration.

The third year linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys is a genetic quake with no comp’. The man is too big, too quick, too fast and too strong for most human beings to be able to block; those who are tasked this assignment have to resort to “By any means necessary,” and hope for the best.

Despite playing with the flu, Parsons played 76 percent of the snaps in the Cowboys’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night; he had one sack, and factored into countless other plays.

There should have been one or two more sacks. Considering the way he is playing this season, he should have another sack or two every other game this season. He has 12 1/2. He should have about 20.

He’s not registering those numbers because he is being held as a means of survival.

After the win against the Eagles, I asked him to guess the percentage of pass rush attempts he thinks he’s been held.

“I’d say at least 75 percent,” Parsons said.

Seventy five percent?

“Seventy five percent,” he said.

That sounds ridiculous. Because it is ridiculous.

It also feels 100 percent believable, because of the talent of the player.

Parsons is not directly in the middle, but he is a part, of what has developed into a loud story in this 2023 NFL season: Officiating.

Officiating, ref’ing and umpiring will forever remain the most difficult, and thankless, task in sports; it was long before the 45-sided sword that is instant replay.

Thanks to instant replay, and the ability to have 15 cameras cover every conceivable angle of a play, we can review every mistake ever made.

“We understand (the criticism). That’s not new,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said this week at the NFL owner’s meeting in Dallas. “You get that. It’s frustrating. We know how hard the players are playing. We know how much the fans put in that.”

Even if Parsons’ estimation of being held on 75 percent of his pass rush attempts is off, he eventually must accept what Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic still struggles to manage.

No matter how great you are, you’re not going to get every call. Get over it, and play through it.

On multiple occasions this season, Parsons has tried the tried trick of holding up his arms while he’s being held by an opposing lineman during a pass rush. The hope is the referee can do nothing but call it.

“I do it,” he said. “And it’s not enough but I see them call (penalties) for (Eagles defensive end Fletcher) Cox and these other guys, so I try it.”

The trouble with this tactic is that while it illustrates to the universe that Parsons, or any defensive player, is actually being held, if it’s not called the move takes the pass rusher out of the play. To that end it’s a give up move.

What Parsons is experiencing is not new to great players. Every great pass rusher, from Lawrence Taylor to DeMarcus Ware, during the prime of their career will be held more often than not.

They’re just too good.

Michael Jordan was sure he was fouled on every drive to the basket, as was Shaquille O’ Neal. Shaq wasn’t fouled as much as he was mugged, and it usually didn’t matter.

Doncic can be seen during almost any given game complaining to officials that he is assaulted on his dribble-drive moves in the paint. When you look at the replays, he’s right.

Some nights, it’s so bad he should retain legal advice.

Former Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano went through this process, and maturation. So did Dirk Nowitzki.

All gifted players eventually must accept they’re not going to get every call; the only way is to just fight through the hacks, whacks, holds, chokes, grabs and everything else that is that is considered battery in the real world their opponent does in the often futile effort to be on their level.

All of this is not right, and it’s just the way it is.

Micah Parsons is an anomaly, and on some plays how much he is held is not remotely fair.

But, neither is he.