The saga between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys over his contract has finally ended with a twist no one saw coming. The NFL star was traded to the Green Bay Packers in a deal that stunned the league. While most expected him to stay in Dallas with a new contract, the franchise chose a different path.
What remains unclear is why Dallas owner and GM Jerry Jones waited so long, even to start talks about a renewal with Parsons, who was undeniably the team’s best player. However, an insider revealed that despite his talent, his relationship inside the Cowboys’ locker room was not as strong as many believed.
Albert Breer Reveals Internal Issues With Micah Parsons And the Cowboys
The negotiation between Parsons and the Cowboys was one of the most turbulent the NFL has seen in recent years, involving a superstar. The franchise waited until Parsons’ fifth year to begin contract talks, missing the chance to lock up its best defender while the market for his position was still cheaper.
BREAKING: Cowboys trading DE Micah Parsons to Packers and agreed to a 4-year, $188M deal including $136M guaranteed. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero, @SlaterNFL) pic.twitter.com/4r275BvmCf
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2025
Parsons revealed in his statement requesting a trade that he wanted to begin extension talks after his third season, in the 2024 offseason. Still, the team chose to prioritize deals with WR CeeDee Lamb and QB Dak Prescott instead, which only fueled his frustration.
According to NFL insider Albert Breer, however, a secondary reason behind the delay might explain why negotiations dragged on and ended the way they did. Breer reported that some of his teammates viewed Parsons as egotistical and self-centered, dampening Jerry Jones’ willingness to engage in a new deal.
“That said, there is a difference between this negotiation and the previous three. Martin, Lamb, and Prescott are/were very popular in the locker room. That’s not the case with Parsons, who has rankled teammates in different ways, seen by some as egotistical and self-centered,” Breer wrote.
MORE READING: NFL Insider Reveals Why Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Had ‘Issues’ With Micah Parsons Before Shocking Packers Trade
He continued, “Some of it spilled into Parsons’s play. Previous defensive staffs had trouble with him at times because he would play out of structure in an effort to make big plays, which led to the run-defense issues Jerry and Stephen Jones kept referencing at their press conference.”
One of Jones’ criticisms of Parsons was that the team needed more help against the run, which is why the addition of DT Kenny Clark was welcomed. However, Parsons became known for his pass rush rather than his commitment to stopping the run, although that aspect of his game may be somewhat underrated.
Micah Parsons just became the 4th player ever to record 10+ sacks in each of his first 4 seasons 💪
📺: #WASvsDAL on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/WNwtG8tNhg— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
The main takeaway from Breer’s report for Sports Illustrated is that the negotiation may have been worse behind the scenes than what was made public. Disputes between Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, and Jones were already visible, but if his internal relationships were strained, committing long-term would never have been simple.
The deal Parsons signed with the Packers was historic. The four-year, $188 million contract gave him an annual average of $47 million, the highest ever for a non-quarterback in league history, well above what the Cowboys would have offered.
It is difficult to call Dallas a winner in this trade, as the two first-round picks received are expected to be late in the round, and finding another edge rusher like Parsons will be a daunting task.
At least now, though, there is more context on why the Cowboys’ relationship with Parsons ended.
