The Dallas Cowboys are dragging their feet on signing key players to contract extensions, and star linebacker Micah Parsons isn’t happy about it. Despite being eligible for an extension since 2023, Parsons is still waiting for the Cowboys to make their move.
Parsons has made it clear – he expects to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL with his next deal. He’s not alone in the contract waiting game, as Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt and Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson are also seeking new deals. The longer Jerry Jones waits, the more it’ll likely cost Dallas, especially if one of these other edge rushers resets the market first.
“It’s going to cost them more,” Parsons told Clarence Hill of All City DLLS on Thursday.
Parsons Warns Cowboys: Price Tag Going Up While You Wait
According to both Parsons and Jerry Jones, they nearly had a deal wrapped up back in March. The problem? Jones never bothered calling Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, to finalize the terms.
There’s still a window to get something done before training camp kicks off on July 21. Parsons is betting the Cowboys will come through before then – but he’s made one thing crystal clear: no contract, no camp.
Jones’ negotiating style is costing the team millions.
The Cowboys owner is infamous for his unhurried approach to contract talks. Remember last season when he insisted there was “no rush” to extend CeeDee Lamb? Jones eventually signed Lamb to a four-year, $136 million deal just before the regular season – but only after Justin Jefferson had already reset the receiver market with his four-year, $140 million payday from Minnesota two months earlier.
Parsons enters the final year of his rookie contract and will earn $24 million on his fifth-year option in 2024.
Since Dallas selected him 12th overall out of Penn State in 2021, Parsons has been nothing short of dominant. He’s piled up 256 tackles and 52.5 sacks while collecting four Pro Bowl nods, two All-Pro selections, and the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year award. There’s no debating his status as one of the NFL’s elite defenders.
The Cowboys seem content playing the waiting game – even when the math doesn’t add up.