Micah Parsons has every right to be upset.

The star linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys was flagged for roughing the passer on a play where he made very light contact with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr during the second quarter of their Thanksgiving matchup.

“Lol this was roughing the passer!” the rookie tweeted. “Never been a dirty guy! But can someone teach me how I could have played this better?!”

The penalty came on a play in which the Raiders already picked up a first down. It moved them from the Dallas 30-yard line to the 15. Las Vegas ultimately scored a touchdown on the drive en route to a 36-33 overtime win.

“We should be playing football, not tag,” Parsons told reporters after the game. “I’m not here to support anybody and play tag like it’s my best friend. I got a job to do, and I see how he’s outside of the pocket, so I’m going to the quarterback.”

Gene Steratore, former NFL referee-turned-rules expert for CBS Sports, agreed with Parson’s assessment.

“Personally, it does not [look like a foul],” he said. “And the thing about this, too, is Derek Carr’s running. He’s still scrambling. He’s not standing still in a passing posture. So you’re pursuing him. And as he starts to fall, to me that’s not an official blow to the head-type of a level that you would want for roughing the passer.”

Even in a league where officiating is regularly under a microscope, the penalty call and subsequent callout from Parsons stand out. There is a balance to strike between keeping quarterbacks safe – good quarterbacks with big names are the biggest driver of the NFL’s watchability – but there has to be a level where the league does not penalize defenders for light, incidental contact.