Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has held the roles of owner, general manager, and president of football operations since purchasing the franchise in the late 1980s. Despite many calls for him to hire out those responsibilities, Jones has remained deadlocked in his approach, maintaining full control of the team without minority ownership—a status unlikely to change anytime soon.
On Tuesday, ESPN analyst Kevin Clark voiced a strong opinion on First Take, arguing that Jones should step aside if he mishandles negotiations with star NFL linebacker Micah Parsons. The three-time Pro Bowler and Defensive Player of the Year candidate is expected to command a contract worth upwards of $24 million annually.
One Analyst Urges The Cowboys Owner To Step Aside If He Fails To Keep Micah Parsons.
“Then Jerry Jones should retire from making decisions with the Dallas Cowboys,” Clark said. “We go through this every single year where the Cowboys do the same thing, and it’s maddening. They just kick the can down the road on every single superstar. It’s the reason they don’t maximize their roster. It’s the reason the Eagles kick their teeth in every single year in the division.”
“They should have made a Super Bowl in the last decade because of the way that they were built on the lines, with the quarterback. The fact that they haven’t—they haven’t made a conference championship game—is an indictment of everything they do.”
If the Cowboys don't re-sign Micah Parsons, @bykevinclark believes Jerry Jones should retire 😯 pic.twitter.com/nS5wNZvWL6
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 18, 2025
Parsons burst onto the NFL scene and immediately established himself as one of the league’s most elite defenders. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in his first two seasons, followed by a second-team selection.
Last season an injury kept him sidelined, and as the Cowboys’ season went on, Parsons was somewhat out of the spotlight, many focused on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott. Now, as he nears his prime, letting a young superstar like Parsons walk would be a rare and controversial decision. Jerry always says he is looking to head back to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 1996.
Parsons made it clear he will not hold out of training camp in the event contract talks stretch out or stall, but he also plans to attend OTAs. He took that path in late 2024 and speaking in early 2025; he still holds firm to that plan. He even touched on some things he wanted to improve on in the offseason.
“I wanna get a little stronger,” he said. “I get a little more powerful. There are some things that I wanna work on that I’m implementing into my offseason program. I always try to ask some new things, so I’m gonna try to bring back a little bit more power.”