The Micah Parsons situation continues to be puzzling for the Dallas Cowboys. After facing the same issue with both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last season and eventually overpaying for both, it seemed like Cowboys general manager and owner Jerry Jones might have finally learned his lesson. Unfortunately, not only doesn’t it seem like he has, but his conclusions from the entire endeavor seem to have gone in the other direction.
As a result, instead of offering Parsons the new deal he’s been seeking, Jones took an ill-advised cheap shot against the jewel of his team’s defensive unit. It was a move that was wildly unpopular in the immediate aftermath and continues to draw the ire of the larger NFL landscape as a whole. Now, a former general manager has also stepped forward to criticize Jones’ move, which, in all honesty, seems like a gross misstep.
Jerry Jones Put Under the Wringer for Micah Parsons Comments
It has been the summer of paying defensive stars across the league, with players like Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and, more recently, T.J. Watt signing historic extensions. Parsons is part of the group expecting an extension this offseason.
However, it hasn’t come from Dallas so far, with the asking price increasing seemingly by the day. Unfortunately, rather than offer a definitive timeline for his extension, Jones took a shot at Parsons at random, citing his injury concern from last season.
He said, “Just because we sign [Parsons], doesn’t mean we’re going to have him. He was hurt six games last year.” The comment seemed like a total misfire from the franchise owner for a player, who, up until last year, hadn’t missed more than one game even once in his career.
Moreover, even in 2024, he missed four games, not six, and was his usual explosive self in the remaining games, tallying 12 sacks in 13 outings. With four years under his belt, the best way to describe Parsons is a generational defender, after he’s already tallied 52.5 sacks in his career.
The lynchpin of the Cowboys’ defense, Jones’ strategy to fire comments against him seemed rather confusing, especially as Parsons continues to be a model player for the organization, representing them in media appearances while also reporting to training camp as a “team leader.”
As a result, the Cowboys general manager’s comments were dragged through the mud, with Mike Tannenbaum going off on Jones during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. A former general manager and vice president of football operations for both the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins, Tannenbaum had a lot to get off his chest.
“It’s stunning and totally unnecessary. It’s the cost of doing business, and nobody knows that better than Jerry Jones, who was one of the architects of the CBA.”
– @RealTannenbaum on Jerry Jones’ comments. pic.twitter.com/4PORYlRpoq
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 22, 2025
“It’s stunning and totally unnecessary,” he began, “It’s the cost of doing business, and nobody knows that better than Jerry Jones, who was one of the architects of the collective bargaining agreement.”
For Tannenbaum, it was a reckless position that Jones was placing himself in, claiming that the price tag for Parsons was virtually guaranteed. “He’s going to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the history of the NFL.”
As a result, he called the idea of not getting the deal done itself a rather egregious situation. “Every day you don’t get that deal done, the more expensive it gets. And I was stunned by what he said.”
Since he made those comments, Jones has once again become the laughingstock of the NFL, especially with the value Parsons holds for the Cowboys. It’s going to be hilarious to see the deal get done eventually after months of snide comments from the team’s owner.
And it’s just going to add more drama once the season gets underway.
