The Dallas Cowboys Are Fumbling Micah Parsons

Trey Hendrickson’s case isn’t a normal extension, but an increase in salary for his final contract year with the Bengals. He’s still set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026 if Cincy doesn’t strike up a deal.

Going back to the 2024 NFL offseason, contract talks between the Cowboys and Parsons have been slim. Over the last 12 months, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and T.J. Watt have all been extended by their respective teams. Prescott and Lamb are teammates with Parsons, making the situation even more head-scratching.

Crosby signed a three-year, $105 million extension, averaging $35 million per year. In 2024, he had fewer sacks (7.5) and fewer solo tackles (28) than Parsons (12 and 30, respectively). Crosby played 12 games, while Parsons played 13.

Taking it up a notch, Watt just signed a three-year, $123 million extension, averaging $41 million per year. He played 17 games last season and still had fewer sacks (11.5) than Parsons. He had 53 QB pressures to Parsons’ 70. Watt and Crosby are two of the best edge rushers in the NFL, and Parsons is right there with them.

All three of these players significantly increased the edge rusher market with their contracts, and they were all done in this offseason. If the Cowboys had paid Parsons much sooner, they could’ve avoided a steep price tag.

Parsons Is The Best Player In Dallas

The Cowboys knew going into the summer of 2024 that Prescott, Lamb, and Parsons would soon need new contracts. They resolved two of them before the 2024 season kicked off. Over a year later, and Parsons is  nowhere close to a new deal.

Since 2021, with Parsons on the field, the Cowboys’ defense has had the best EPA (expected points added) per play in the NFL. When he is off the field, they have the worst EPA per play. The positive impact he has on the defense cannot be overstated.

Prescott was coming off a terrific 2023 season when he signed his extension. In 2024, he threw for 1,978 yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions en route to a 3-5 record. He was placed on IR after eight games due to a hamstring injury.

CeeDee Lamb is one of the NFL’s best receivers, but his stats in 2024 saw a significant drop off from the year prior. Without Prescott in the lineup, Lamb saw nearly 30 fewer targets and had a near 600-receiving-yard dropoff from 2023. His touchdowns also halved from 12 to six. The quarterback-receiver connection is a real thing, and Lamb was missing it last year.

Parsons’ impact on the game is fairly independent. He singlehandedly dispatches Pro-Bowl linemen and attacks the quarterback. No matter who is on the defensive line with him, he averages 14.2 sacks per season and 30 QB hits. Jerry Jones has to be blind not to see the value number 11 brings.

The Ridiculous Dispute

The dispute between Parsons and Jones stems from the lack of contract talks. Jones reportedly wants to have contract talks with Parsons, without the edge rusher’s agent, David Mulugheta, present. Parsons stated he had no interest in “closed-door negotiations without my agent present”.

Jones claims he and Parsons reached a handshake agreement and that Mulugheta obstructed it by renegotiating. The nonsensical troubles led to Parsons officially requesting a trade, saying he no longer wants to be with the team.

It’s no secret that Jerry Jones is a tough businessman, and he won’t let any player pull something on him. In 2025, there’s no reason to believe a player should negotiate without their agent present.

Parsons shot down speculation on why he was lying on a trainer’s table on the sideline. Regardless of reasoning, the media will quickly run with every assumption possible, given the situation.

Following Friday night’s preseason game, Schottenheimer expressed his plans to speak with Parsons. In his first season as head coach, he’s caught playing the middle man between the general manager and the star player. That’s a terrible situation to be in, especially with a team that’s watched as heavily as the Cowboys.

End Of My Cowboys Rant

Parsons has held out of training camp and removed the Cowboys from his social media accounts. Jones refuses to trade him, but seemingly doesn’t want to play ball with the 26-year-old. 

Pushing off solutions isn’t new for Jerry Jones, as CeeDee Lamb dealt with a similar issue last offseason. Things were ultimately resolved in his case, but with Parsons, the bridge seems to be burning fast. 

It’s still entirely likely the two sides work it out, but Jones’ stubborn mentality has been destroying Dallas’ hopes of returning to their glory days. This situation is a prime example of that.