Micah Parsons is one of the NFL‘s best defenders, yet he is entering his final year under contract with the Dallas Cowboys. The team hasn’t extended the four-time Pro Bowler, and Parsons has been absent from the voluntary portion of Dallas’ offseason program.
The all-world edge defender recently discussed whether he’ll be attending the team’s mandatory minicamp and put some pressure on team owner Jerry Jones to close a deal.
Micah Parsons Won’t Let Contract Situation Stop Him From Attending Minicamp
The Cowboys selected Parsons with the 12th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He immediately took the league by storm, totaling 13 sacks and 84 tackles as a rookie. Parsons was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, a first-team All-Pro, and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Parsons stayed hot the following year, posting 13.5 sacks, 65 tackles, and three fumble recoveries en route to being named first-team All-Pro for the second time. He totaled 14 sacks in 2023, and the Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option the following offseason.
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.
New head coach Brian Schottenheimer recently discussed whether Parsons would be back for the team’s mandatory minicamp, and Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. tweeted Schottenheimer’s comments. The coach said, “I would assume. Micah and I talked a couple of days ago. He’s doing a little bit of traveling, but again, everything that he and I talked about, I expect that he will be here.
“I say Micah and I have had great communication and everything that I’ve asked him to do, and vice versa, he’s followed through on, so I expect to see him.”
Parsons responded on X with, “I will be there! I haven’t missed a mini camp in 4 years! Even though the contract is not done, I have teammates and a playbook! I’m preparing as if I will be on the field the first week of camp! But it’s in the owner’s hands. I’m ready to win a Super Bowl!”
I will be there! I haven’t missed a mini camp in 4 years! Even though the contract is not done, I have teammates and a playbook ! I’m preparing as if I will be on the field the first week of camp! But it’s in the owner’s hands. I’m ready to win a Super Bowl ! https://t.co/gMsfQEDYo7
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) June 4, 2025
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.
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. Parsons is committed to showing up for his teammates, but why has a contract eluded the game’s best young edge rusher?