While Micah Parsons is still seeking a new contract, the star pass rusher was in attendance for the start of Cowboys training camp. However, it sounds like the veteran won’t be hitting the practice field anytime soon.
[RELATED: DE Micah Parsons: Cowboys Ownership Has Made Negotiations “More Complicated” Than Necessary]
While speaking with reporters today, Parsons revealed that he’s nursing a back injury and doesn’t intend to practice until his body feels right. While Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News described the situation as a “hold-in,” Parsons said he’s not engaging in that negotiation tactic. The veteran also said he doesn’t plan on holding out (via Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS Sports).
“Just being mindful,” Parsons said of his refusal to practice (via Jane Slater of NFL Network). “Obviously, just want to get the body going the right way and where I want it to. But, obviously, with D-Law gone, like I said, I just feel like it was my turn to lead and it’s hard to do that from the crib. So, I want to be here with the guys, show them that I care; I want to be here, win championships. So, that’s why I’m here.”
Parsons and the Cowboys appeared to be progressing towards a deal earlier this offseason, but there have been no developments on that front over the past few months. In the meantime, a handful of pass rushers have earned lucrative new deals, and Parsons admitted that those contracts have left him discouraged about his own contract situation.
“When you go around the league and you see these other teams taking care of their best guys, I seen T.J. [Watt] gotten taken care of. Maxx [Crosby] got taken care of. Myles [Garrett] got taken care of, [and] he’s got two years left on his deal,” Parsons said (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). “You see a lot of people around the league taken care of, and you wish you had that same type of energy.”
Parsons provided some more insight into his negotiations with the Cowboys…or lack thereof. The pass rusher said there’s “really not much movement” on the extension front (via Jon Machota of The Athletic), and the player said his agent, David Mulugheta, recently reached out to the organization but hasn’t heard back (via Watkins). Parsons even went as far as to acknowledge a potential divorce, noting that “if this is the end, this is the end…I understand the nature of the business” (via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
Yesterday, Jerry Jones didn’t convey the same urgency as Parsons, as the Cowboys owner indicated that he’s not in any rush to finalize a new deal. On the flip side, Jones also said the two sides effectively came to an agreement on a new contract earlier this offseason (via Hill), but it’s uncertain when negotiations went off the rails. ESPN’s Adam Schefter seemed to contradict Jones’ comments, noting that the two sides still haven’t engaged in formal contract talks.
While a long-term pact once seemed like a certainty, it sounds like Parsons is at least considering a potential exit out of Dallas. While a number of edge rusher standoffs (particularly between Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals) have commanded headlines this offseason, this developing Parsons/Cowboys saga is suddenly center stage.