One thing is for sure: the cost of doing business in the NFL isn’t getting any cheaper. This is a lesson the Dallas Cowboys never seem to learn. The organization, led by hands-on owner Jerry Jones, has developed a reputation for waiting until the last possible minute.
Their current contract negotiations with edge rusher Micah Parsons are following that familiar path. While most analysts expect the deal to get done, they question what the cost will be.
Experts Slam Cowboys for Dragging Out Micah Parsons Extension as Costs Keep Climbing
On a recent episode of “NFL on ESPN,” Adam Schefter voiced his opinion on the Parsons situation in Dallas. He believes the Cowboys will make the deal happen with Parsons; the question is just when. For the 2024 season, Parsons was second only to Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett on many lists of the best defensive players in the league.
Garrett is currently the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, having signed a massive four-year, $160 million extension with the Browns. Parsons, who is still waiting to sign his deal, has to be using that as leverage in negotiations. Schefter certainly thinks so; he said he expects Parsons to surpass Garrett’s deal when all is said and done.
Former NFL executive turned analyst Mike Tannenbaum was asked if the Cowboys have handled this negotiation process with Parsons well.
He said they have no one to blame but themselves. “By waiting again, they cost themselves a lot of money. If we went back a year ago, Nick Bosa, the highest-paid pass rusher at $34 million, they could have been at $35–36 million. Myles Garrett goes all the way up to $40 million. Now by waiting, you’re costing yourself $4, $5, $6 million a year on a six-year deal. That is a meaningful amount of money, going to cost you another starter.”
Many critics of Jones accuse him of delaying contract signings to keep the Cowboys in the news.
Tannenbaum noted this isn’t the first time Jones and the Cowboys have done this. “We’ve seen this time and time again, be it with CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott. They want to wait, and by waiting, it just gets more expensive.”
Show co-host Mike Greenberg said the Cowboys behave as if the price tag of an exceptional player will somehow go down, and it never does.
The price tag for Parsons certainly isn’t dropping. The former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year has been selected for the Pro Bowl in each of his four years in the league. Parsons suffered a high ankle sprain last season, which cost him four games. He still had 12 sacks, bringing him to 52.5 in four years.
The Cowboys’ defense needs Parsons if they want a shot at improving in 2025. Parsons attended the team’s recent mandatory minicamp but did not participate in practice. Instead, he was frequently seen on the sideline speaking to Jones. Hopefully for Cowboys fans, those conversations will lead to a quick resolution.