The contract dispute between edge rusher Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys has hit a new level of drama. Training camp is underway, Parsons is on site, but he’s not fully practicing, and the Cowboys’ season opener is just about five weeks out. Everyone on the team and in the stands is feeling the tension, waiting to see what happens next.
Why Are Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys Still Apart on a Deal?
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined Mike Greenberg and company on “Get Up” and cut right to the chase: negotiations between Parsons and Dallas aren’t moving forward, and the reason might surprise fans.
Schefter joked that the only certainty is that this contract saga is a sure way to boost TV ratings. While most people think a deal is just a matter of time, he explained that it’s not that simple for the Cowboys.
Adding to the uncertainty, Schefter pointed out that nobody really knows what will happen before the regular season kicks off. He said that, behind closed doors, Parsons and owner Jerry Jones had productive talks, with Jones suggesting they were “nearly” in agreement. But Parsons quickly shot that down, insisting that his agent, David Mulugheta, had not been included at all.
This is where things hit a snag. Schefter reported, “A deal today is a lot further away than it was in late March.” The involvement of Mulugheta, regarded as a top agent, has stalled momentum.
Former NFL player and analyst Ryan Clark jumped in, saying that’s just how NFL negotiations work, especially when a big-time agent like Mulugheta is in the room.
.@AdamSchefter says Micah Parsons’ contract negotiations slowed once his agent was a part of negotiations 🤔
“Jerry [Jones] has had a history of … doing deals with his very top players by himself. … He and Micah made enough progress that it was difficult to walk that back.” pic.twitter.com/6HIwGU2zF1
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 31, 2025
Schefter said he agrees, but added that Jones does things the way he wants, regardless of who someone’s agent is. “I will also say that Jerry has a history of doing deals with his very top players, by himself, without an agent. He’s done that in the past. So he is doing things he’s done in the past, nothing abnormal. Nothing he hasn’t done. And I think he and Micah made enough progress that it was difficult to walk that back once you wanted to bring in the agent.”
Meanwhile, Jones’s hands-on style has drawn attention again. He recently faced backlash for downplaying Parsons’ value, pointing out the defender missed six games last year due to injury. Cowboys fans know Parsons missed only four games with a sprained ankle, raising eyebrows about how closely Jones follows these details.
So what’s happened since the last round of comments? According to Schefter, not much. Mulugheta keeps reaching out to the Cowboys, but the front office hasn’t answered his calls. In the meantime, Parsons is showing up at camp and supporting his teammates from the sidelines, but he’s not hitting the practice field with them.
