Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Star pass rusher Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb made headlines when they missed Monday’s voluntary workout. Both players are eligible for a new contract and are looking to score a major payday before the start of the upcoming season.

But Lamb and Parsons appear to have missed the workout for different reasons.

Why the Dallas Cowboys had to stars miss Monday’s workout

According to Michael Gehlken with the Dallas Morning News, Lamb missed the workout as a contract negotiation with the Cowboys. Parsons didn’t miss because of his contract but because he thinks his training program is better than what he can receive from the Cowboys:

As contract dissatisfaction keeps Lamb away from the team, Parsons has a different deterrent. A person close to the hybrid defensive end told The Dallas Morning News that Parsons is focused on a personalized training program outside the facility while determined to prepare himself for the 2024 season in the manner he considers optimal.

Micah Parsons did the same thing last year

Parsons missed the start of workouts last season. It didn’t seem to have a negative effect on his performance on the field when he turned in a 14-sack season. The Cowboys probably aren’t too worried he’s not at their workouts this week.

However, it is interesting that Parsons has decided to work out independently after his comments about the Cowboys’ culture this offseason. (In fact, he seems to think his training is superior to what the Cowboys can offer.)

Why isn’t Parson leading by example?

One would think Parsons, a leader on the defense, would want to help lead players on the team through the early spring portion of the Cowboys schedule. After all, Parsons has a new defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer, to work with this season.

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