The relationship between the Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons is on shaky ground. The star edge rusher made his feelings crystal clear with a blunt social media post.
“Unfortunately, I no longer want to be here,” Parsons wrote, adding that negotiations were being attempted without his agent present.
While the situation could change, it would start with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. For now, Parsons’ future in Dallas looks grim.
According to CBS Sports’ John Breech, this drama might have been avoided if the Cowboys had followed advice from former five-time All-Pro J.J. Watt.
“Take care of your best players early,” Watt posted. “Saves money. Saves headaches. The longer you wait, the higher the price.”
Breech explained that this isn’t just a Parsons problem — it’s a Cowboys problem. The franchise has a long history of dragging out negotiations with its stars, which ends up costing them millions.
If Dallas had followed Watt’s advice with CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, they could have saved roughly $32 million, per Breech's breakdown.
CeeDee Lamb:
- Signed a four-year, $136 million extension in August 2024 ($34M per year).
- If Dallas had extended him between January–March 2024, they could have locked him in for around $31M annually, before the A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson deals drove the market up.
- Savings: $12 million.
Micah Parsons:
- Expected to become the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history, likely over $42M annually.
- If Dallas had extended him anytime from January 2024 to March 2025, he could have been signed for around $36–37M annually, slightly above Nick Bosa and Justin Jefferson’s marks at the time.
- Savings: $20 million.
Instead, the Cowboys now face the prospect of paying record-setting money or losing one of the league’s most dominant defensive players — and that’s not counting the PR hit of Parson's public trade request.
For a team as desperate to return to Super Bowl contention as Dallas, that’s a self-inflicted wound that even Jerry Jones might not be able to spin.