Are Cowboys trying to send Micah Parsons a message with delayed contract extension?

Perhaps the Dallas Cowboys are trying to tell edge-rusher Micah Parsons it's time to grow up a little with his delayed contract extension. 

Surprisingly, Parsons is still set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2025.

Typically, the Cowboys drag out contract negotiations. In 2024, they signed quarterback Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240M deal before their regular-season opener vs. the Cleveland Browns. Unlike Prescott, the Cowboys may have concerns about Parsons' social media presence.

"Parsons is part of a new generation of athletes with a large platform that enables him to directly engage with fans," wrote The Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins in a story published Tuesday. "Parsons has often used that platform, which includes social media like X and a weekly in-season podcast, to defend himself against criticism."

Some of those critics have been teammates.   

This offseason, former Cowboys edge-rusher DeMarcus Lawrence — who signed a three-year, $32.5M deal with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency — beefed with Parsons on X after he said he didn't think he would win a Super Bowl in Dallas. 

"Calling me a clown won't change the fact I told the truth," Lawrence wrote after Parsons called him out. "Maybe if you spent less time tweeting and more time winning, I wouldn't have left." 

Before the 2024 season, Cowboys safety Malik Hooker suggested Parsons' in-season podcast with Bleacher Report could be distracting for the edge-rusher.

Hooker and Parsons then briefly squabbled on X. At training camp, Parsons indicated he still disagreed with Hooker but had moved on from the issue.

Per Watkins, Hooker's locker was moved from close to Parsons to the other side of the locker room after training camp. Hooker, however, said he wanted to be closer to his fellow defensive backs.   

Despite the social media tiffs with teammates, the Cowboys should still consider giving Parsons a new deal. Since being drafted No. 12 overall by Dallas in 2021, he has made four Pro Bowls and has 52.5 sacks.

But if they do, the Cowboys may want Parsons to understand a mega-deal can come with increased scrutiny, and he must prove he can handle it.