Once again, the Dallas Cowboys are in the news over a contract dispute with one of their star players. Last offseason it was wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott.
This time around, it’s star edge rusher Micah Parsons.
The 2021 first-round pick has been one of the top sack artists in the league since his rookie season. Only four players have more sacks than him over the last four seasons – Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson and Nick Bosa – and he’s looking for an extension that puts him on par with their compensation.
Parsons requested a trade last week as negotiations have hit a standstill. He mentioned in a post to social media that he’d spoken with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones earlier in the offseason about a contract.
“In March I met with Mr. Jones to talk about leadership. Somehow the conversation turned into him talking contract with me,’ Parsons said. ‘Yes I engaged in a back and forth in regards to what I wanted from my contract, but at no point did I believe this was supposed to be a formal negotiation and I informed Mr. Jones afterward my agent would reach out thinking this would get things done.”
Jones and the Cowboys believed they had reached a deal with this conversation while Parsons thought his agent, David Mulugheta, would take care of it.
Jones was asked about that conversation at training camp today.
“I bought the Cowboys with a handshake,’ Jones said. ‘It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later.
The fundamental ‘I’m buying and you’re going to sell it to me for that range,’ that’s done and those are done with eye contact and handshakes. Just so you understand the way that I communicate with people that I negotiate with.’
When it comes to Parsons’ new deal, Jones said that they have a contract in writing.
‘There is no question that in the case of a player contract, you have to have it in writing,’ Jones said. ‘We have a contract in writing yet we’re still talking about re-negotiating. So, so much for that.’
He added that there’s no sticking point from his view.
‘Nothing that I would say is out of the ordinary,’ he said.
Micah Parsons contract latest
Parsons is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025. His salary for the season is fully guaranteed after the Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option. The team and his representation were able to negotiate an extension last year but Parsons said the team decided to focus Lamb and Prescott instead.
‘I’ve seen players I wish we had renegotiated their contracts earlier and I’ve had several that I was sorry I renegotiated their contract earlier,’ he told Bell. ‘The idea that if you wait there’s more money (spent) forgets that in between that wait, you get to evaluate and you frankly get to see if you’re dealing with the same physical elements of it.’
Is Micah Parsons playing?
Parsons is not participating in training camp drills but is on the field for practices in Oxnard, California, as of this week.
Even if signed, he would not be expected to play much in the Cowboys’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
Jones is now unsure if Parsons will be available for the season opener against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
‘No, absolutely not,’ Jones told reporters when asked if he’s confident Parsons would play in Week 1. ‘A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that? I’m just saying. But I’m urgent.’
That’s a slight change from his previous comments that Cowboys fans should not ‘lose any sleep’ over these negotiations.