Dallas Cowboys Optimistic About Contract Talks with Micah Parsons
Greetings from sunny Palm Beach, Florida! As the NFL’s annual league meeting kicks off, the Dallas Cowboys are making headlines with their ongoing contract negotiations with their star pass rusher, Micah Parsons. The Cowboys’ executive vice president, Stephen Jones, has expressed a positive outlook on the discussions, stating he feels “good” about the direction in which they are headed.
Parsons, who is currently set to play this season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, has been in talks with both Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones over the past few weeks. The Cowboys also met with Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, during the NFL scouting combine in February.
Stephen Jones, speaking from The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, was tight-lipped about the specifics of the negotiations. “I don’t want to get into any details,” he said. “It’s not fair for anybody, other than we’ve got a great working relationship with Micah and think the world of him. Like I’ve said, we’ve had good visits with him and feel good about where we’re headed.”
In the world of NFL contracts, the landscape is ever-changing. Since the combine, the Las Vegas Raiders signed pass rusher Maxx Crosby to a three-year, $106.5 million extension that includes $91.5 million guaranteed. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns briefly made Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback with an extension averaging $40 million and including $123.5 million guaranteed. This was before the Cincinnati Bengals signed wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to a four-year, $161 million deal that includes $112 million guaranteed.
Given these recent deals, Parsons has a strong case to become the highest-paid non-quarterback. He and Hall of Famer Reggie White are the only players to record at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons. Despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain last season, Parsons finished fifth in the NFL with 12 sacks. He tied for the most multisack games in the NFL last year with five, and his 18 multisack games in his career are the second most since 2021, behind only T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who has recorded 19.
Parsons, a first-round pick in 2021, has recorded 52.5 sacks in his first four seasons. Only White (70), Derrick Thomas (58), J.J. Watt (57), and DeMarcus Ware (53.5) have had more since sacks became an official stat in 1982.
Interestingly, Parsons mentioned late last season that he does not need to be the highest-paid defensive player in the game. However, that was before the recent deals increased the market.
Last year, the Cowboys made Dak Prescott the highest-paid quarterback with a four-year, $240 million deal and made CeeDee Lamb the then-second-highest paid receiver at $34 million per season. Lamb did not sign his deal until August, missing all of the offseason program and most of training camp. Part of the reason was the Cowboys wanting to see the results of other talks, namely with Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, who signed a deal averaging $35 million.
Stephen Jones declined to discuss whether the Crosby and Garrett deals set a market for Parsons. “Like I said, I’m not going to get into any detail on where things are, and how far along we are or anything like that,” Jones said. “It’s not productive.”
Jones also addressed the notion that the Cowboys wait too long to finalize deals with their star players, which could end up costing them more money in the long run. “We’ve done the early before, and we’ve waited until the end to do them,” Jones said. “A lot of it is just the negotiation itself. Some of them take longer than others. And we put about zero credibility or credence into people saying you wait too long.”
- Micah Parsons is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.
- Parsons has recorded 52.5 sacks in his first four seasons.
- Recent deals by Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett have set a high market for non-quarterbacks.
- Stephen Jones feels positive about the direction of the negotiations.
Originally Written by: Todd Archer
