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The Dallas Cowboys are about to lock up a key defensive piece with a massive payday — but not the one most fans expected. It isn’t Micah Parsons getting his well-deserved extension, despite the All-Pro edge rusher heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
According to Mike Fisher of Athlon Sports, Dallas is “very close” to finalizing a contract with defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa worth over $21 million annually on a four-year deal. This would be a significant investment in the interior defensive line — a position group that often doesn’t command the same attention as edge rushers.
BREAKING – Source: #Cowboys are 'very close' to done deal with Osa Odighizuwa … should come in above $21 million per year. Stay tuned. https://t.co/AtwSkeuvqA pic.twitter.com/k4EPYWBcoZ
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) February 27, 2025
Getting Odighizuwa back is a major win for new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. The 26-year-old had a breakout 2024 season and hasn’t missed games due to injury. His work clogging the middle has been crucial to Dallas’s defensive success.
Cowboys Prioritize Odighizuwa While Parsons Waits… Again
The timing of this move raises serious questions about the front office’s priorities. Remember when Parsons stepped aside last offseason so the team could focus on deals for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb? He didn’t complain or hold out. He just went to work.
You’d think the Cowboys would return the favor by making Parsons their top priority this time around.
They haven’t.
Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News recently reported that the Cowboys and Parsons haven’t even started talking about an extension. Not a single conversation about keeping perhaps their best defensive player since DeMarcus Ware. Meanwhile, they’re dropping $21+ million annually on Odighizuwa.
This doesn’t add up for a team that’s supposedly committed to winning championships.
The financial picture makes this even more puzzling. Patrik Walker from DallasCowboys.com reports the team has “roughly $4 million in available cap space” — and that’s before accounting for Odighizuwa’s new contract. On top of that, they’re apparently focused on bringing back DeMarcus Lawrence and Jourdan Lewis.
So where does that leave Parsons? He’s transformed the defense since arriving, earned three straight All-Pro selections, and consistently ranks among the NFL’s elite pass rushers.
Is this the “selectively aggressive” approach Stephen Jones promised? Cowboys fans who bought into Jerry Jones’ “all-in” mantra last season might be wondering if that commitment only applies to certain players.
The longer Dallas waits, the more expensive Parsons will become. With each dominant performance and every QB pressure, his price tag increases. Elite pass rushers don’t come cheap — and they certainly don’t come more elite than Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys need to figure this out before they create an unnecessary problem with their best defensive player.
