2024 was a disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott went down in Week 9, the team finished 7-10, and Mike McCarthy’s contract wasn’t renewed after the season.
The start of 2025 hasn’t been much better, with EVP Stephen Jones saying the team would be “selectively aggressive” in free agency and All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons still without a contract extension.
Jones recently broke his silence about the contract situation for the team’s best player.
Cowboys Feel Good About Micah Parsons’ Contract Situation
The Cowboys’ offense fell off a cliff once Prescott went down, but the defense was nearly as bad in 2024. The unit finished No. 25 in PFSN’s Defense+ metric last season, with injuries playing a major factor. The cornerback tandem of former All-Pros Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland played just one game together, and Parsons missed four games with an ankle sprain.
Parsons continued to be a game-wrecker when healthy, posting 12 sacks, 43 tackles and 23 quarterback hits in 13 games. He made the Pro Bowl, but 2024 was the first season Parsons failed to be named to an All-Pro team.
The outside linebacker’s second contract has been a discussion topic since his rookie season, when he was named first-team All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year. But the Cowboys have put themselves in a tough spot by not getting an extension done sooner.
Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby signed big-money extensions this offseason—$40 million and $35.5 million per year, respectively—and the Cowboys are now in position where they may have to reset the edge rusher market to keep their best player. Jones was at the NFL Annual Meeting and discussed Parsons’ contract.
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said there’s no disappointment that they haven’t gotten a new deal done yet with Micah Parsons. “We’ve had visits with Micah, Jerry and I have. We feel good about that.”
“Some guys want to visit. And some guys don’t want to visit about their money. We… pic.twitter.com/9QPzxn6aKx
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 30, 2025
The Athletic’s Jon Machota tweeted, “Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said there’s no disappointment that they haven’t gotten a new deal done yet with Micah Parsons. ‘We’ve had visits with Micah, Jerry and I have. We feel good about that.’
‘Some guys want to visit. And some guys don’t want to visit about their money. We respect both ways. But if players want to come in and talk to us, we got an open-door policy, whether it’s Jerry or myself. Micah likes to visit, so that’s a good thing.’
Machota also tweeted, “Stephen declined to speculate if Parsons will be at OTAs and minicamp if a new deal isn’t done. ‘We have a great working relationship with Micah. Think the world of him. We’ve had good visits with him. Feel good about where we’re headed.'”
Parsons is worth every penny of the massive contract he’s set to receive, but it’s a bad look for Dallas not to have locked him up already. His fifth-year option will pay him just over $24 million in 2025, and Cowboys fans should be hoping the team figures out a long-term deal before the franchise tag becomes part of the conversation.