With the 2025 NFL season around a month away, Micah Parsons' contract situation has become arguably the biggest storyline across the league.
While the star pass rusher initially seemed content with keeping negotiations with the Cowboys quiet, Parsons then sent the football world into a frenzy when he requested a trade from Dallas due to "narratives" created about him, a lack of negotiating from the Cowboys and Parsons saying that the team had not yet "had a single conversation with my agent about a contract."
Thank you Dallas 🦁👑 🙏🏾! I pic.twitter.com/EUnEj9uRUt
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) August 1, 2025
With his social media post alone, Parsons' agent was put into the spotlight as a key figure in his relationship with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. And whether Parsons winds up traded or not, his agent will certainly have some work to do before the new season for one of his highest-profile clients.
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Here's what to know about Micah Parsons' agent, from his background to other star clients.
MORE: Full Micah Parsons contract dispute timeline
Who is Micah Parsons' agent?
Micah Parsons' agent is David Mulugheta, who works with Athletes First. The company, which was founded in 2001, is based in Southern California, but also has offices in New York City, Gainesville, Austin and Atlanta.
In April, Jerry Jones' comments about Mulugheta played a role in the eventual dispute between Parsons and the Cowboys. After being asked about a potential deal for Parsons, Jones said "the agent is not a concern here" and "I don’t know his name," per Cowboys on SI.
When Parsons heard about those comments regarding Mulugheta, he quoted a tweet that said Jones' words were "blatant disrespect" to the agent, then wrote that "there is no one I trust more" than Mulugheta.
Facts!! David is the best and I will not be doing any deal without @DavidMulugheta involved! Like anyone with good sense I hired experts for a reason. There is no one I trust more when it comes to negotiating contracts than David! There will be no backdoors in this contract… https://t.co/nxKNSIXLvt
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) April 1, 2025
Communication between Mulugheta and the Cowboys, or lack thereof, has been a theme in Parsons' dispute. Dallas is known to like negotiating directly with players, but Parsons has insisted on communication with his agent, also saying that the team had yet to talk to Mulugheta as of his trade request.
"Unfortunately I no longer want to be here. I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates," Parsons wrote in his statement on the trade request. "I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me. I had purposely stayed quiet in hopes of getting something done."
"Still not a call email or text to my agent about starting a negotiation. Up to today the team has not had a single conversation with my agent about a contract."
MORE: Top potential trade landing spots for Micah Parsons
What is David Mulugheta's background?
Mulugheta was born in Dallas, attended the University of Texas at Austin, and also studied at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He first joined Athletes First in 2010 as an intern, and two years later, Mulugheta became an NFLPA-certified contract advisor and full-time agent.
According to his NFLPA profile, Mulugheta has negotiated 58 current contracts in the NFL.
Forbes lists Mulugheta as having made around $58 million in agent commissions, with some of his top negotiated deals including Deshaun Watson's five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns and Jalen Ramsey's five-year, $100 million deal with the Rams. Forbes also lists him as its No. 7 sports agent of 2025, with around $1.9 billion total in contracts negotiated.
In 2024, Mulugheta posted to Instagram, sharing that he was the first agent in NFL history to negotiate over $1 billion in contracts in one year.
MORE: Building potential trade packages for Micah Parsons
David Mulugheta client list
Mulugheta's client list includes plenty of other NFL stars outside of Parsons. According to Spotrac, he represents a total of 59 players as of August 2025.
Here are some of the top names represented by Mulugheta:
- Jordan Love, QB, Packers
- Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns
- Justin Fields, QB, Jets
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans
- Calvin Ridley, WR, Titans
- Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons
- Derek Stingley Jr., CB, Texans
- Jaycee Horn, CB, Panthers
- Jalen Ramsey, CB, Steelers
- Micah Parsons, EDGE, Cowboys
- Budda Baker, S, Cardinals
- Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Buccaneers
- A.J. Terrell, CB, Falcons
- Derwin James, S, Chargers
- Carlton Davis, CB, Patriots
- Xavier McKinney, S, Packers
- Jessie Bates III, S, Falcons