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The Dallas Cowboys have built their reputation on keeping homegrown talent, but Jerry Jones and his front office keep shooting themselves in the foot with one frustrating habit — waiting too long to pay their stars.
This chronic procrastination does give Dallas time to evaluate player performance and market conditions. But it’s a double-edged sword. By delaying negotiations, they watch helplessly as other teams set new salary benchmarks that drive up what they’ll ultimately pay their own stars.
Micah Parsons is about to make them pay for this mistake — again.
Despite being the heart and soul of their defense, Dallas only recently started talking contract with Parsons’ team. Their hesitation couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Browns just reset the entire edge rusher market by making Myles Garrett the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback.
The Bengals (Ja’Marr Chase) and Cowboys (Micah Parsons) are two teams that will be directly affected by the Myles Garrett deal—with the bar for non-QBs rising to $40 million per.
The Bengals (Ja'Marr Chase) and Cowboys (Micah Parsons) are two teams that will be directly affected by the Myles Garrett deal—with the bar for non-QBs rising to $40 million per.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 9, 2025
The longer you wait …
Cowboys’ procrastination with Parsons will cost them millions
You can forget about Parsons signing for anything less than Garrett’s $40 million annually. Why would he? He’s four years younger than Garrett and just as destructive on the field. This next contract will cover his entire prime — exactly when pass rushers command premium dollars.
Don’t be surprised if Parsons aims even higher, potentially seeking $45 million per year. That figure would have seemed outrageous before Garrett cashed in with Cleveland.
All of this could’ve been avoided with a proactive approach. Parsons isn’t just their best defensive player — he’s their defensive identity. Remove him from the equation and Dallas suddenly has one of the NFL’s weakest defensive units. They simply can’t afford to lose him.
Will the Cowboys eventually lock up Parsons long-term? Almost certainly. But Garrett’s deal just added millions to Parsons’ price tag.
That’s an expensive lesson for a team already struggling with salary cap issues. At some point, Jones and company need to stop repeating this costly pattern with their core players — because waiting until the market explodes isn’t a strategy, it’s financial malpractice.
