Memo to Micah Parsons: If You Want to Win a Super Bowl, Don’t Re-Sign With the Cowboys

Last season, Dallas waited until Aug. 27 to sign CeeDee Lamb to an extension. Dak Prescott signed his last extension in September of 2023. If history repeats itself, Parsons isn’t getting a deal before late August. Other players are possibly up for new contracts, like offensive lineman Tyler Smith and cornerback Daron Bland. The potential for a messy training camp is high.

The biggest potential for controversy just arrived on a plane from Pittsburgh. Pickens’ contract ends after this season. Will he sit quietly if he doesn’t get enough targets in head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s offense? He’s spoken out against the offensive coaches in Pittsburgh about his usage in the past. That’s when he was the No. 1 receiver. Pickens will have to take a backseat to Lamb in Dallas.

Schottenheimer grabbed headlines last week by moving Parsons’ locker next to Prescott’s. Does that mean Pickens is now both players’ problem? Parsons doesn’t seem to shy away from leadership duties. But he’s a 25-year-old pass-rusher. All of this seems like a messy situation for a young player who’s trying to take the next step in his own right.

Even when the Cowboys reached the playoffs three years in a row from 2021-23, they didn’t feel like a cohesive unit. Especially when things went poorly. Hard to imagine adding Pickens, who Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called immature, improving the chemistry.

Parsons is well aware of the state of the team. Toward the end of last season, Parsons addressed his contract and indicated that money alone isn’t enough.

"It would just be nice to be surrounded by good players,” said Parsons, via Dallascowboys.com. "Players that are going to help you win championships. To me, having $40 million and being chipped every play and slid two with three, four people -- I don't think that sounds too fun.”

To the Cowboys’ credit, they’re trying to get Parsons help. They just re-signed defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. They drafted linebackers/pass-rushers like Sam Williams, DeMarvion Overshown and Marshawn Kneeland. But those players have suffered serious injuries. Now they’ll see if second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College can be an effective bookend for Parsons. If he follows the recent trend, he’ll flash and then unfortunately get hurt.

Parsons’ former pass-rushing partner DeMarcus Lawrence delivered a tough dose of reality when he rationalized leaving Dallas for Seattle. “Dallas is my home,” Lawrence told the Seahawks’ website. “I made my home there, my family lives there, I'm forever going to be there. But I know for sure I'm not going to win a Super Bowl there, so yeah. We here."

Parsons fired back, prompting Lawrence to write on X, “Maybe if you spent less time tweeting and more time winning, I wouldn't have left.” Parsons has an outsized media presence. He was even officially named president of B/R Gridiron last year. But to judge him as a player by his public persona is a mistake. Lawrence was wrong because Parsons’ energy and effort aren’t affected by anything he does off the field.

Parsons missed four games in the middle of last season with a high ankle sprain. When he returned in Week 10 the Cowboys were basically out of contention. With nothing to play for, Parsons turned up his game to the next level. He had 11 sacks in his last nine games. He finished the season ranked third overall in pressures (46) despite missing a month of action. On a lifeless team, Parsons’ dynamic play stood out.

As significant as Dallas’ challenges were in ‘24, the challenges continue this season. For the second offseason in a row they failed to acquire a true workhorse running back. Their failure to sign Derrick Henry at a bargain rate last offseason is one of the biggest mistakes in franchise history. Their health issues from last year are still lingering – they reportedly don’t expect to see Overshown and star cornerback Trevon Diggs by the beginning of next season.

The Cowboys’ competition has gotten harder as well. When they were stringing together 12-5 seasons under former head coach Mike McCarthy, the bottom of the NFC East was a mess. Now the Commanders are contenders and the Giants are poised to bounce back to at least mediocrity. Based on last season’s records, Dallas faces the fifth-toughest schedule in the NFL.

Cowboys fans may be taking a victory lap on social media because of the Pickens trade. But even if their new receiver excels, one move can’t erase 30 years of mismanagement. Parsons is about to become very rich. He’ll remain a huge star because of the team’s popularity. That can’t be enough for a player of Parsons’ caliber. Money’s not going to buy a Super Bowl ring. In this case, it’s going to mean typical Cowboys stuff and not enough wins to merit all the drama.