Broncos Broadcast Fooled by Fake Micah Parsons Quote
The Denver Broncos’ local broadcast found itself in an embarrassing spot during Saturday’s preseason game when analysts mistakenly aired a fake quote attributed to Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons.
The slip-up came during a segment meant to highlight Denver’s potential under head coach Sean Payton. Broadcasters leaned on a supposed comment from Parsons, claiming he praised the Broncos as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Analyst Ryan Harris ran with the graphic, presenting it as evidence that even one of the NFL’s premier defenders believed Denver was on the rise. Harris then tied the fake quote to similar praise from Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, pointing to Denver’s defense and rookie quarterback Bo Nix as reasons the team could finally compete with the league’s elite.
The problem? Parsons never said any of it. His podcast, The Edge, hasn’t posted new content since January, and the viral quote originated from a small X account with fewer than 1,000 followers. The post was designed to look authentic, complete with a Draft Network logo, but the account later admitted it was nothing more than “bait.”
The incident quickly circulated online, with many fans mocking how easily the broadcast was duped. While Denver wasn’t the only outlet fooled, the mistake underscored a growing issue in modern sports media: the reliance on viral graphics without proper fact-checking.
It would have taken little effort to verify the information. A quick scan of The Draft Network’s official feeds showed no such quote, and Parsons himself has not mentioned the Broncos in that way. Instead, the local broadcast took the graphic at face value, repeating it on air and giving legitimacy to a completely false story.
This episode highlights a cautionary lesson for media teams at every level. In an era where fake quotes and edited graphics spread rapidly, credibility depends on taking extra steps to confirm what’s real. As this Broncos broadcast learned, one unchecked graphic can turn a routine preseason segment into a viral embarrassment.
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