All Dolphins

Parker Goes One-on-One with Michael Thomas

Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker and New Orleans' Michael Thomas traded some barbs on social media

Alain Poupart

Bob DeChiara-USA Today Sports

DeVante Parker's coming-out party in 2019 was highlighted by a spectacular performance in the season finale against the New England Patriots and more specifically against NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.

Gilmore was so good last year that NFL on FOX Monday whether it was tougher to, A, make a catch while guarded by Gilmore or, B, break up a pass while guarding New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, who last year set the NFL record for catches in a season with 149.

Parker replied A on Instagram, no doubt as a sign of respect for Gilmore, who faces twice a year as rivals in the AFC East.

Welll, that answer didn't fly with Thomas, and that started a back-and-forth between the two wide receivers.

"For you yes," Thomas replied. "Go run some numbers up. Then you can talk. I lapped you and you been in the league longer than me first rounder."

Parker came back with a direct message to Thomas: "got some hard feeling there brotha??? Let me get targeted 300 times a game."

The two went back and forth, with Parker sending three messages to Thomas' five.

For the record, Thomas was targeted 185 times in 2019, 28 times more than anybody else in the league. While he did lead in targets, catches and yards, Thomas was 68th in average per reception at 11.68.

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Parker and Thomas, ironically, were tied for fourth in the NFL in touchdown catches with nine. Parker was fifth in receiving yards with 1,202 and ninth in average at 16.69.

In that season finale at New England, Parker caught eight passes for 137 yards while being covered by Gilmore pretty much the whole game. The 137 yards represented the highest total by any Patriots opponent last season.

Parker apparently had fun with the whole thing because later Monday night he put out that consisted strictly of two laughing emojis.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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