Parsons Still at Camp, No Talk With Jones Since Trade Request

The tension between Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and star pass rusher Micah Parsons continues to build — and they haven’t spoken since Parsons asked for a trade.

Parsons is still at training camp, showing up but not practicing fully — a situation many refer to as a “hold-in.” He feels frustrated with how the team has handled his contract talks, especially because Jones has tried to deal with him directly instead of going through his agent, David Mulugheta. That approach frustrated Parsons enough to ask for a trade last week.

Despite Jones calling the situation “urgent,” he hasn’t spoken with Parsons or his agent since the request. In fact, Mulugheta tried reaching out to Cowboys executive Stephen Jones, but nothing came from it. Parsons says that since then, the team hasn’t followed up at all.

No Progress, No Guarantee for Week 1

Jones told reporters he can’t even guarantee Parsons will be on the field for the Cowboys’ Week 1 game against the Eagles.

“No, absolutely not,” Jones said when asked if fans should expect Parsons to play. “A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?”

The Cowboys don’t plan to trade Parsons, but they’re also not close to giving him a new deal — which makes things more uncertain with the regular season approaching. It’s a sharp contrast to how the team handled past situations with players like CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, who both went into the final year of their contracts before getting deals done.

Disagreements Over How to Negotiate

Parsons made it clear he wants negotiations to go through his agent — like almost all players do — but Jones pushed to talk to him personally. So far, team exec Adam Prasifka has been the only one dealing with Mulugheta, and even that hasn’t moved talks forward.

Parsons says he was ready to negotiate months ago. The Cowboys, on the other hand, told him last year they wouldn’t be ready until 2025. That delay may have cost them. With other top edge rushers signing big contracts this offseason, Parsons’ value has only gone up.

Jones claims he made a strong offer and even mentioned a figure close to $200 million — though it’s unclear how much of that was guaranteed. No defensive player in the NFL has more than $123 million guaranteed right now, and Parsons likely wants a deal that reflects his elite status without locking him into a long-term contract as the salary cap keeps rising.

Cowboys Running Out of Time

Parsons is playing under his fifth-year option this season, which will pay him $24 million. If he misses games, he’ll lose about $1.41 million per week. That’s a steep price, but Parsons hasn’t ruled anything out. So far, though, he hasn’t missed a practice — he just hasn’t participated fully.

The Cowboys open the season on Thursday night in Philadelphia, giving them even less time to work something out than usual. Dallas does have a history of getting these deals done — from Ezekiel Elliott to Emmitt Smith — but how they handle this one remains a mystery.

As Jones himself said: “Don’t lose sleep over it.” But with Parsons ready for a big payday — and not backing down — fans might want to stay alert anyway.