Major prediction emerges on Cowboys, Micah Parsons contract standoff

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones seems willing to let the Micah Parsons contract standoff run through all of August after the star pass-rusher in the final year of his rookie deal requested a trade ahead of this past weekend. 

For an article published on Monday evening, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared that he believes Jones will eventually hand Parsons "a pen to sign a new deal." Breer also thinks that the two sides will get a lucrative extension "pushed over the goal line before the season" and "after a lot of silence." 

Like others, Breer indicated that history may repeat itself as it pertains to Dallas locking a key player down shortly before the start of a campaign. Last summer, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb received a four-year, $136M deal only after the Cowboys finished their final game of the preseason. Weeks later, reporters confirmed hours before Dallas' regular-season opener that quarterback Dak Prescott had agreed to a four-year extension.

For what it's worth, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Monday afternoon that "the Cowboys have no intention of trading" Parsons. Russini added that Dallas could retain Parsons' rights for 2026 via the franchise tag, if necessary.

Assuming Parsons and the Cowboys work things out before Week 1 of the upcoming season, it's widely believed that his extension will make him the new highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Earlier this summer, T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers reset the market for edge-rushers when he agreed to a three-year, $123M extension that included $108M guaranteed.

"Parsons, for his part, has done everything asked of him," Breer continued. "He’s participating in walkthroughs. He’s engaged in the meeting room. He’s learning the new scheme from (defensive coordinator) Matt Eberflus. He’s taking part in strength-and-conditioning work. He’s even mentoring young DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, who’s been impressive early on."

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had a Cowboys team led by first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer at +180 odds to make the playoffs this season. Dallas almost certainly will need to have a happy Parsons in the lineup to remain in postseason conversations through late December. That's a big reason why Breer and others believe Jones will pay the 26-year-old before the Cowboys open the campaign with a matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, Sept. 4.