Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Micah Parsons' decision turns heads amid contract talks

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 11:26 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys are reporting for training camp, and while Micah Parsons wasn't on the team's plane to California, he wasn't the only big-name player who wasn't there, per Jon Machota.

Parsons is still waiting to put pen to paper on an extension that could potentially make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

However, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he's not going to force the Cowboys' hand or threaten to hold out until he gets a deal.

Talking on "Good Morning Football," Rapoport reported that Parsons isn't in a rush to get a new contract because he knows he's going to get his money.

From @GMFB: The beginning of training camp is upon us, and the #Cowboys and #Bengals are in focus with a few key to-do items. pic.twitter.com/sMTbPSFXmq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 21, 2025

"Everyone has known for months that Micah Parsons will be [at training camp], will be on time, will be with his team," Rapoport said. "He's content to wait, and we've seen several big-name edge players get paid this offseason; he knows his money is coming, so he will be there with his teammates."

Whether he's going to be fully committed to practice remains to be seen, said the insider.

"We'll see how much he does at practice actually, but he is expected to be there," Rapoport added.

The Cowboys have a long history of waiting until the last minute to get deals done. That approach has usually gotten them on their star players' wrong side, not to mention it's cost them plenty of money.

They could've signed Parsons earlier in the offseason, but after watching Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt get record-setting deals, Parsons' baseline for a new deal has gone way up.

The longer they wait, the more they'll have to give him.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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