Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons must be getting frustrated with how his contract negotiations are going. For the 2024 season, Parsons was second only to Myles Garrett as the best EDGE rusher in the league on many lists. Then, he watched Garrett sign a record-setting four-year, $160 million contract extension while he is still squabbling with the Cowboys.
Parsons is expecting, and rightfully so, an extension that pays him commensurate with what his peers are making. In the past, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has a flair for the dramatic, has waited a bit before signing his star players. Now, Cowboys’ executive vice president Stephen Jones provided an update on the contract talks.
Cowboys, Micah Parsons Nearing a Contract Extension?
In previous years, Jones dragged his feet before signing players that he would obviously want to keep. When they gave quarterback Dak Prescott his extension, they made him sweat all offseason, not signing until right before the season began.
In a video posted by Calvin Watkins on X, Stephen Jones was asked: “Is the team any closer to getting things done with Parsons?”
“You know I don’t comment on close or far away, or any of that,” said the Cowboys EVP. “Usually, when the right things come together and everybody is ready to do a deal, then it happens. Certainly, we want Micah here, and he knows we want him here. I think ultimately, we’ll get something done.”
Earlier this offseason, Parsons showed up at the team facility for the first day of voluntary workouts. This was an apparent show of good faith because in previous years, Parsons hasn’t been there even when not negotiating.
The Cowboys hired Matt Eberflus as their new defensive coordinator for 2025, so Parsons needs to be present to work with him. Eberflus is considered a defensive mastermind, but he most recently spent two disastrous seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Bears.
A Look at Parsons’ Time in the Big D
Parsons was a standout at Penn State and was selected by the Cowboys with the No. 12 overall pick in 2021. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season.
Since then, he has become one of the best outside linebackers in the NFL. He started every game that he played in (63) in his first four seasons. During that time, he has racked up nine forced fumbles, 52.5 sacks, 256 combined tackles, and 112 quarterback hits.
He is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro. He has received votes for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in each of his four seasons, coming in second in 2021 and 2022.
The Cowboys cannot afford to lose Parsons, their defense’s quarterback. For 2024, the Cowboys’ defense posted a D+ grade that ranked 25th in the league in PFSN’s Defense+ metric. While Dallas had some weak links in its defense, Parsons wasn’t one of them.