Dallas Cowboys C.J. Goodwin, safety Israel Mukuamu, defensive end Micah Parsons, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Micah Parsons could face major consequences if he leaves training camp

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Matt Galatzan | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 12:40 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys and star defensive end Micah Parsons have seemingly been leagues apart from one another in terms of negotiating his new contract.

Since the beginning of training camp, things have only gotten worse, with Jerry Jones spouting charged comments to the media about the negotiations, while Parsons has fired his own shots back at the franchise.

As a result, many have been left wondering whether or not Parsons - who has yet to participate in practice due to tightness in his back - would attempt a hold out. In fact, he was ask speficially about potentially leaving the team by the media on Tuesday.

Parsons then talked his way around that narrative and would not give a direct answer, leading to even more questions surrounding his participation going forward.

However, according to PFT's Mike Florio, should Parsons indeed choose to leave camp at any point now that he has reported, he could face harsh consequences from the Cowboys as a result.

"If a player leaves the team, during training camp or the regular season, he has five days to return. If he doesn’t, the team can place the player on its reserve list as a retired player," Florio said. "And if that happens under those specific circumstances, the player cannot play again that year. For any team. His contract gets tolled. Everything freezes in place. It’s a no-win situation for the player."

Given the situation and potential consequences, odds are that Parsons will in fact stay put in Oxnard at training camp. And while his level of participation on the field may not be exactly clear, his presence in camp is enough to keep him from facing any of those potential repercussions.

Ideally, this situation will get resolved sooner rather than later. The Joneses will finally meet with Parsons' agent David Mulugheta. Parsons will sign his new extension, and things will return to business as usual.

But now that the Cowboys have kicked his contract negotiations so far down the road to the point where he is now going to command a record-breaking deal, this situation may continue to fester until the last possible moment.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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