Tension remains high at Dallas Cowboys training camp as the contract standoff between All-Pro defensive end Micah Parsons and owner Jerry Jones continues. With negotiations stalled, a Cowboys expert believes Jones may have pulled Parsons’ original offer off the table.Parsons, who was not on the practice field Thursday due to back tightness, requested a trade last Friday with contract talks stalled. In a social media post, the four-time Pro Bowler said he told Jones to work with his agent, David Mulugheta, to get a deal done. Jones has said he believed they had a deal with Parsons in place when he spoke to the player months ago, without the agent’s presence and with nothing in writing.
Parsons is in the last year of his rookie deal that will pay him over $21 million this season.
Speaking to Sportsnaut, 105.3 The Fan Dallas radio host RJ Choppy wouldn’t be surprised if Jones has rescinded his original offer.
“I honestly don’t know what they’re looking at right now because Jerry feels like Micah walked back on a contract offer. Jerry feels like they had an agreement and Micah wanted to come back to the table again,” said Choppy. “I think Jerry feels a little bit slighted. It wouldn’t surprise me if he said that offer’s off the table — whatever offer that was, it wouldn’t surprise me if he said that offer’s no longer good.”
Choppy added he can’t see a scenario where the Cowboys would move Parsons despite his trade request.
“I don’t see a situation where he gets traded. Even if Jerry wanted to trade him because he was fed up, I don’t think he would because he doesn’t want to give off the impression that he’s not in complete control,” explained Choppy. “I think that’s off the table. Next year they might, but right now they’re not trading him. They’re going to have him play out this contract and then they’ll tag him and then they might trade him.”
With no resolution in sight, Jones told reporters that he’s not confident Parsons will be on the field for the Cowboys season opener Sept. 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Parsons has remained a hold-in at camp, taking part in walk-throughs but not drills. If he leaves, he could be fined up to $40,000 per day, but those fines would be waived if he signs a new contract.
If Dallas does reach a deal with Parsons, it will most likely be in the range of T.J. Watt’s extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers that pays him $41 million annually for the next three years, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in football.
In his first four seasons in Dallas, Parsons has recorded 52.5 sacks, was named first-team All-Pro twice and was voted the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.
