Cowboys' lack of urgency with Micah Parsons backfires amid record T.J. Watt extension

Watt's deal sets a baseline for Parsons to demand in negotiations, and it's likely more than what the Cowboys would have owed him if they had worked out a deal last offseason, when Parsons initially wanted an extension.

"We wanted to get the contract last year," the two-time first-team All-Pro recently told professional wrestler The Undertaker on his "Six Feet Under" podcast.

"Obviously, ownership is always gonna make it drag out, make it more complicated than it has to be," Parsons added.

Earlier this week, Parsons downplayed the impact of edge-rushing peers Watt, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby finalizing extensions before him, telling PennLive.com's Nick Farabaugh, "I'm just going to get mine no matter what."

While the 2021 first-round pick was always going to reset the edge-rusher market, that number has only grown in the past year. And the Cowboys have themselves to blame.

The lackadaisical approach to extending their own players is nothing new. Last offseason, Dallas waited until late August to agree to terms on a four-year, $136 million extension with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, ending a training camp and preseason holdout.

Then, the Cowboys handed quarterback Dak Prescott a massive four-year, $240 million extension on the first Sunday of the 2024 NFL regular season.

It's not surprising that Dallas would drag its feet in negotiations with Parsons, but it is disappointing that it's repeating past mistakes.

It was always going to cost the Cowboys a pretty penny to keep Parsons, but now it will cost them even more.