Micah Parsons and Terry McLaurin both hit their breaking point this week, bringing months of contract drama into the open. With two of the NFL’s brightest stars finally saying enough is enough, fans are left wondering where these cornerstone players will land and how their messy summer could reshape the league as a whole.
Now, one NFL analyst is offering a shocking opinion on how McLaurin might deserve his payday over Parsons.
Why Did Micah Parsons and Terry McLaurin Request Trades From Their Teams?
McLaurin, star receiver for the Washington Commanders, still hasn’t suited up for training camp in the 2024-25 campaign, held out on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. McLaurin finally attended camp after missing previous sessions. He took things to the next level Thursday and officially requested a trade.
Meanwhile, Parsons, the Dallas Cowboys’ edge rushing phenom, let his frustration spill out on Friday. After what he described as several failed contract talks, Parsons and his agent never received the call they were hoping for from Cowboys management. That led the four-time Pro Bowler to publicly ask for a trade, a move that shakes up the Dallas defense in a big way.
Now, both Parsons and McLaurin are potentially on the trading block, and national analyst Colin Cowherd sees a big difference between their situation. For him, there’s only one guy in this contract standoff who truly deserves to be paid like a superstar.
“He has wildly, wildly outperformed his contract… You GOTTA pay guys like that!”@colincowherd says that between Micah Parsons and Terry McLaurin, only one has earned a contract extension pic.twitter.com/d2bfLTbiIR
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 4, 2025
During “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the analyst argued that McLaurin, not Parsons, has blown past expectations with his contract. According to Cowherd, Parsons was a first-round pick, delivered on his draft billing, and landed the pay that came with it.
McLaurin, as a third-round pick, brought a whole different level of value: “He has been a dog in the playoffs, he’s been unbelievable in the regular season, he was the only bright spot before Jayden Daniels got to town for about three years. He’s unbelievably productive.”
In Cowherd’s view, Parsons is a talented pass rusher, but falls a step short of the league’s best.
What Does Colin Cowherd Say About Parsons’ Value Versus Other NFL Stars?
Cowherd made it clear that he doesn’t think all holdouts are equal: sometimes the player deserves it, but in this case, he sides with McLaurin. “First of all, I was on team-trade-Micah-Parsons a year ago,” Cowherd admitted. He thinks the Dallas Cowboys would be better off with a haul of new draft picks, claiming the roster just doesn’t match up with teams like the Philadelphia Eagles.
Cowherd respects Parsons, calling him a good player, but stops short of putting him on the top tier. “He’s not Myles Garrett, he’s not Aidan Hutchinson, he’s not Maxx Crosby, he’s not T.J. Watt, he’s not Nick Bosa. I like him a lot, but I’m not making him that highly-coveted.”
Plus, Cowherd believes CeeDee Lamb, Parsons’ teammate, is closer to being the best at his position. Lamb recently signed a big-money contract and when Parsons’ contract drama broke out, he came to his teammate’s defense online.
“Never fails dawg,” Lamb posted. “Just pay the man what you owe em. No need for the extra curricular.”
Despite all the back-and-forth, Cowherd said Parsons’ current deal already puts him among the league’s highest-paid edge rushers for the 2024-25 season.
“By the way, right now, Micah’s contract going into this year, without a new contract, would make him the fifth highest EDGE rusher cap-hit,” Cowherd said. “That’s a totally appropriate contract, totally appropriate, that’s not Terry McLaurin.”
Why Does Colin Cowherd Say Terry McLaurin Deserves More Than Deebo Samuel?
Earlier in March, the Commanders traded for Deebo Samuel and then adjusted his contract for extra guarantees. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Washington guaranteed $17 million in 2025 and added $3 million in incentives. Samuel was scheduled to make $16.6 million in base salary, with additional bonuses, including a workout and per-game roster incentives, pushing the total even higher.
TERRY MCLAURIN GAME WINNING TD
TERRY MCLAURIN NOW HAS THE MOST RECEIVING TDS IN FRANCHISE HISTORY WITH 13
COMMANDERS ARE 12-5 AND THE SIXTH SEED pic.twitter.com/dhIuebA8Cy— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) January 5, 2025
Cowherd doesn’t think Samuel should be topping McLaurin’s earnings. “Washington goes out and signs Deebo Samuel, who I like, but you can’t have Deebo making significantly more than Terry McLaurin,” Cowherd said. “Deebo is older, Deebo’s been injured more, Deebo’s just not as good as Terry McLaurin.”
He pointed to McLaurin’s consistency and production: “Just last year, 82 catches, 14 in the postseason, he had three postseason touchdowns, which was tied for the league lead,” said Cowherd. He noted that McLaurin stands with Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, and Mike Evans as one of the only four receivers with five straight 1,000-yard seasons in the last five years.
As McLaurin and Parsons eye new teams and new contracts, one big question remains: Which franchise will step up and pay them what they want, and will these stars get the deals they feel they deserve?
