The Dallas Cowboys continue to make headlines for the wrong reasons.
This time, it is the latest chapter in the Micah Parsons contract saga. The all-world defensive end enters a contract year in 2025 and will eventually be among the league’s highest-paid defensive players.
However, despite his impact on the Cowboys’ defense over the past several years, the Jerry Jones-led front office is taking a particularly long time with its franchise pass rusher.
Here is what Parsons had to say, via Underdog NFL:
Cowboys EDGE Micah Parsons on extension negotiations:
“We wanted to do the contract last year. They’re just kind of like, ‘We want to do Dak [Prescott] and CeeDee [Lamb].’ … You would think, all right, [the Cowboys would] get it done early. There are some guys that are about…
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) July 17, 2025
All Parsons has done in his four years with Dallas is record 12+ sacks every season, make two First-Team All-Pros, four Pro Bowls, and win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Cowboys also lost 11-year veteran DeMarcus Lawrence to the Seattle Seahawks this offseason and are in dire need of cornerstones on a unit that ranked second-worst in points allowed in 2024 (468) and fifth-worst in yards allowed (6,039).
The more pressing question is, why is this taking so long? Guys like Parsons do not grow on trees, and this already brutal defense can not afford to lose its by-far best player.
Dallas does have over $32 million left in cap space, and some maneuvering should free up Parsons’ annual average value and more. Perhaps Jones feels that it is only a matter of time before they lock him up long-term.
Still, this is an awkward approach to what should have been a straightforward process. Maybe the Cowboys want to trade him, but that feels unlikely given their perpetual “all-in” mentality.
The more likely scenario is that Jones wants his team to circulate in the media for as long as possible, and it’s working.
