In April, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and star edge rusher Micah Parsons seemingly put the framework of an extension in place. After that report surfaced, however, there has been no indication that talks have gained any traction.
The Jones-Parsons summit did not include Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, and Jones’ public comments minimizing the importance of Mulugheta in the negotiation process did not sit well with Parsons. The four-time Pro Bowler nonetheless expressed optimism that the two sides would strike an agreement before training camp, which opens Monday.
In light of Parsons’ recent comments on the matter, such a development appears unlikely. In an appearance on the Six Feet Under podcast (video link via ESPN’s Field Yates), Parsons suggested the needle has not moved, and he laid the blame for that squarely at the Cowboys’ feet.
“We obviously wanted to get done early. We want that relief off our backs,” Parsons said. “But, obviously, ownership is always gonna make it drag out, make it more complicated than it has to be. Lack of communication and that standpoint, but, you know, I just always say, God has me this far, he ain’t done with me yet, so, you know, I just just keep working, keep going, and then when it comes, I’m gonna be ready. But, you know, ain’t gonna be no drop-off” (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Indeed, Dallas has been criticized for its delay in resolving contract situations with its best players, delays that have resulted in increased tension and increased price tags as the markets for premium positions (like edge rusher) continue to soar. Parsons himself recently indicated the new deals for players like Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett have driven up his own asking price, and during his Six Feet Under appearance, he seemed surprised Dallas would not want to get ahead of the curve for once.
“We wanted to do the contract last year,” Parsons added. “They were just kind of like, ‘We want to do Dak [Prescott] and CeeDee [Lamb].’ Then you go out there and perform again and, you know, you would think, like, alright, we’ll get it done early. We know there’s some guys that’s about to get ready to get repaid, like Garrett, you know, Crosby is gone. So you’d think like, hey, let’s get ahead of that, you know what I mean?”
Instead, the Steelers and T.J. Watt just pushed the EDGE market even higher by virtue of a massive three-year, $123MM extension. Watt, 31 in October, is nearly five years older than Parsons, who missed time due to injury last season but who nonetheless posted 12 sacks, giving him a total of 52.5 over his first four years in the league. It would be quite surprising if Parsons does not top Watt’s deal, and with a record-setting extension for the soon-to-be 25-year-old Aidan Hutchinson possibly in the offing, it looks like Dallas will again be paying for its willingness to slow play a high-end negotiation.
Assuming no deal is in place by the time camp opens, Parsons is expected to stage a hold-in. As Florio notes, Parsons’ remark regarding a “drop-off” implies the Cowboys may be worried his performance will suffer once he signs a lucrative new deal, though not having him as a full camp participant – particularly with a new defensive coordinator in Matt Eberflus at the controls – is also not ideal.
“It’s extremely important,” Parsons previously said of the significance of a deal being done by the onset of training camp. “You really see a lot of players struggle when guys aren’t participating in camp and they get off to slow starts. I want to hit the ground running.”