Jerry Jones has made an odd point of communicating directly with Micah Parsons during the superstar pass rusher’s contract negotiations, rather than taking the standard step of going through an agent. The Cowboys’ approach this offseason has irked Parsons to the point he became the rare Dallas player to request a trade.
Parsons outlined a number of issues with Jones’ tactics as he made the request, but he remains at Cowboys camp as a de facto hold-in. Despite Parsons’ presence, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes he and Jones have not spoken since the trade request. Jones and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, have also not spoken since the trade ask emerged last week.
Although Jones described his stance as “urgent” regarding this Parsons matter, his actions do not align with that. The 37th-year owner said this past weekend Cowboys fans should not lose sleep over this standoff. The Cowboys do not intend to trade Parsons, but they appear no closer to extending him.
As it stands, the longtime owner/GM is not guaranteeing Parsons suits up for the Cowboys in Week 1. That still seems the most likely outcome, but this situation has veered off course compared to where the Cowboys were with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last year. Even the 2019 Ezekiel Elliott holdout, resolved days before that season, did not lead to a trade request.
“No, absolutely not,” Jones said of guaranteeing Parsons will debut with the Cowboys in Philadelphia. “A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?”
Jones and Parsons conducted extension talks this offseason. The parties disagreed over whether those were considered formal discussions, with Parsons preferring the Cowboys go through his agent. Unless a player is representing himself, agents negotiate contracts. Thus far, however, the Cowboys have only communicated with Mulugheta through exec Adam Prasifka. Days before Parsons’ trade request, negotiations were said to be going backward. Mulugheta reaching out to COO Stephen Jones did not lead to negotiations, according to Parsons, who added in his request the Cowboys have not contacted his camp for negotiations since Mulugheta’s overture went nowhere with ownership.
The Cowboys’ negotiating trends have baffled many, as Parsons’ price has undoubtedly risen since 2024 and throughout this offseason — as dominoes fell on the EDGE market. Parsons said the Cowboys told him last year they wanted to do a deal in 2025. Timeline-wise, this situation resembles Lamb’s due to the All-Pro wide receiver being unsigned to open training camp ahead of a fifth-year option season. Lamb’s deal did not come to pass until August 26, 2024. Lamb also held out and was not keen on a 2023 extension. That separates the WR’s saga from Parsons’, as the All-Pro defensive end said he was ready to talk terms before his fourth season.
With the Cowboys understandably prioritizing Lamb and Prescott — who both were entering contract years — over a player signed through the 2025 season, they have seen Parsons’ price rise. Parsons expressed confusion at the Cowboys’ hesitancy at multiple points this offseason. Jones did say, via Archer, he offered Parsons “a hell of a lot more than you think I did.” The owner also referenced a guarantee of “almost $200MM.”
That total would not stand to reflect a full guarantee, and a $200MM guarantee of any sort would point to the Cowboys reverting to their preference of a longer-term deal. Term length was reported to be a sticking point in these talks, as players are preferring shorter-term contracts amid annual cap spikes. No current defensive player is guaranteed more than $123MM (Myles Garrett). T.J. Watt‘s $108MM fully guaranteed — on a three-year deal — leads the pack in that more important category.
Opening their season on a Thursday night in Philly, the Cowboys have a bit less time than they did when they went down to the wire with Prescott last year. Tied to a $24MM fifth-year option salary, Parsons would lose weekly game checks worth approximately $1.41MM if he sat out. Excepting the 1993 Emmitt Smith situation (when the Hall of Fame running back missed two games amid a contract dispute), the Jones-era Cowboys have a track record for finishing these negotiations. How they go about getting there continues to generate confusion.