As has been the case in recent years, the Dallas Cowboys are yet again involved in tense contract situations. Owner Jerry Jones has made a habit of dragging his feet when it comes to paying key players, and heading into the 2025 season, he is at risk of losing the team’s best defender if he doesn’t resolve the contract negotiations sooner.
Micah Parsons’ Situation Named Cowboys’ Biggest Storyline To Watch Out For
Dallas had a solid offseason, doing what it set out to do. With a strong draft and adding George Pickens to boost the wide receiver group, the team delivered on its plans. Now, only one big item remains: extending its biggest star, Micah Parsons.
Parsons has been vocal but reasonable, backing his agent during talks and making it clear he wants to be paid like a top-tier player at his position. Since entering the NFL, Parsons has made the Pro Bowl every year and earned First-Team All-Pro honors twice, proving he’s one of the league’s best defenders.
His fifth-year option will pay just over $24 million next season, which is well below the market rate for an edge defender of his caliber. This has led Parsons to sit out the team’s voluntary offseason workouts, and with less than a week remaining for the minicamp, PFSN’s Jacob Infante listed the pass rusher’s contract saga as the biggest storyline in Dallas.
“Micah Parsons skipped part of OTAs,” Infante wrote. “Now, all eyes are on whether the Dallas Cowboys will get a deal done with one of the league’s most dominant defenders.
“Parsons has made the Pro Bowl every year since entering the league. The Cowboys can’t afford to let contract talks linger and risk losing their defensive anchor.”
Dallas has put itself in a tough spot by waiting to extend Parsons. Delaying the extension allowed Maxx Crosby to sign a $35.5 million per year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders and Myles Garrett to reset the edge rusher market with a $40 million per year extension with the Cleveland Browns.
.@89JonesNTAF loves Micah Parsons’ approach to minicamp with his contract negotiations looming:
“It’s fine for now, but when that 1st week of training camp comes, he shouldn’t be there…Get your money!” pic.twitter.com/mhhhLm9Wr0
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) June 4, 2025
The Cowboys likely could have negotiated a deal similar to Crosby’s, but now Parsons will command more than $40 million per year. The NFL salary cap will continue to grow, but having an extra $4.5 million per year could have gotten Dallas over the Divisional Round hump they’ve continuously stumbled on.
The Dallas defense was a mess in 2024, finishing 25th in PFSN’s Defense+ metric. Locking up the team’s best defender sounds like a logical choice, but Jones has yet to get a deal done. Can he do it by the end of the minicamp?
