Although Micah Parsons may have surprised some by reporting for the start of the Cowboys’ offseason program, do not expect the star defensive end to be a participant anytime soon. Unless the Cowboys break from their recent extension timetable, that is.

Parsons has been clear in his desire for a Cowboys extension by training camp. Absent one, he is not expected to step on the field for workouts. Parsons said Tuesday he would still be attending Cowboys activities, as the team is transitioning at defensive coordinator (hiring Matt Eberflus). But he expressed doubt (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) about participating in on-field workouts without a new contract.

Players skipping minicamp has become a common offseason tactic amid negotiations, but it does not sound like Parsons will partake in such an effort. Hold-ins, however, are even more common during a CBA that makes training camp holdouts difficult to wage. Zack Martin succeeded in his holdout, seeing the Cowboys turn his final two seasons from nonguaranteed to fully guaranteed, but Parsons appears to be planning to hold in while he learns Eberflus’ system at the team’s facility.

Of the two contract-related shutdown moves in play for Parsons, this is the preferable route for the team. But the Cowboys will see their recent extension timeline tested. Dallas completed its CeeDee Lamb re-up August 26 while taking the extraordinarily rare step of waiting until hours before Week 1 to hammer out its higher-profile deal (Dak Prescott‘s market-resetting pact). Parsons is not exactly eager to follow in his teammates’ footsteps here.

“It’s extremely important,” Parsons said (via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer) of a deal being done by camp. “You really see a lot of players struggle when guys aren’t participating in camp and they get off to slow starts. I want to hit the ground running.”

The Cowboys are still not making progress with Parsons, who has been connected to a defender-record-setting ask. The team appears ready to make Parsons the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, but is in unclear by how much. While it is still early, Dallas has seen its top player’s price point change.

Parsons said last summer he saw the benefit in waiting for his extension — as opposed to joining other 2021 first-rounders in landing one last year — but noted in December he did not necessarily need a $40MM-per-year deal. That stance certainly appears to have changed, thanks to where Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett have taken the market. Garrett became the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback in March, scoring a $40MM-per-year extension to back off his Browns trade request. Ja’Marr Chase since followed with a $40.25MM-AAV Bengals extension.

“You look at the market and see Maxx gets 35 1/2, 36 [AAV] and then you see guys that are older than you [be paid],” Parsons said (via Machota). “You can say that your production and versatility matches what they’re doing. … I would say I’m more in my prime than a lot of these other guys; they’re more in the second half of their careers.”

Parsons is not wrong. Garrett will turn 30 this year, while Crosby is going into his age-28 season. Also on the extension radar, T.J. Watt will play an age-31 season in 2025. Trey Hendrickson will as well. Set to turn 26 next month, Parsons will have a clear case to secure a better deal than what the Browns gave Garrett, which also included a defender-record $88.8MM guaranteed at signing. The Cowboys having the league’s highest-paid player and third-highest-paid receiver provides a complication for their top 2025 extension candidate, and the team would have a 2026 franchise tag at its disposal if negotiations do not pick up.

The Prescott talks, though, show the danger that route can bring. Prescott upped his price by waiting, holding off on signing an extension in 2019, leading to a 2020 tag. He then scored player-friendly terms in 2021, helping set up his 2024 $60MM-per-year windfall. Parsons certainly represents a cornerstone piece for the Cowboys, who would stand to see his price keep rising if they wait until Watt, Hendrickson and perhaps Aidan Hutchinson — who is a year younger than Parsons — agree to deals this year.

Micah Parsons showed up for the Cowboys’ voluntary offseason workout program as extension negotiations with the team continue, but recent comments from executive vice president Stephen Jones indicated that little progress has been made.

“Right now there is a difference in what we feel is the right number and what he feels is the right number,” said Jones (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota).

It’s unclear what the gap between each side’s “right number” is. Dallas has submitted an offer that would make Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, while the superstar edge rusher is reportedly seeking a total value of at least $200MM. Guaranteed money will also play a factor in negotiations, especially if Parsons’ desire for a $200MM deal comes with proportionally higher guarantee demands.

There are a number of contracts that could reach both benchmarks, including a five-year, $202.5MM deal that would likely include well over $100MM in fully guaranteed money. A four-year, $176MM extension would give Parsons $44MM per year and a total value of $200MM including his $24MM fifth-year option.

The Cowboys may balk at the total value and guarantees of the first deal or the APY of the second. Parsons, meanwhile, may be looking for $200MM in new money, requiring a deal of at least five years or a massive $50MM APY across four years that the team is unlikely to offer.

Despite the persisting gap between Parsons and the Cowboys, there appears to be the potential to find a middle ground that satisfies both sides. However, Parsons’ demands have continually increased as other players have reset the market for non-quarterbacks, so Dallas may want to act quickly before another major extension raises his asking price further. Then again, the team has faced steady criticism about delaying extensions recently, as it took until late last summer to finalize CeeDee Lamb‘s deal and up until the Week 1 kickoff to close Dak Prescott‘s. Parsons’ negotiations represent the next test for Cowboys management.

Monday marks the beginning of the Cowboys’ offseason program. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer expected Micah Parsons to be in attendance, and that has proven to be the case.

Parsons is present for the voluntary program, as first reported by DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr. This news comes as no surprise, considering team and player discussed attendance earlier this offseason. Parsons mainly worked out on his own during this time of the spring over the past two years, but being present for the installation of a new playbook under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus will be welcomed.

The 2025 offseason has long been known as the most realistic point for a Parsons extension to be worked out, and progress has been made toward a deal. The four-time Pro Bowler has been linked to an asking price of $200MM on a second contract, one which could very well move him to the top of the pecking order amongst edge rushers. The Cowboys have worked out at least the framework of an agreement which would make Parsons the top earner for all non-quarterbacks, although his agent was not present for those negotiations.

As a result, nothing is in place yet regarding a long-term accord. Today’s news is nevertheless a positive sign with respect to a deal being hammered out sometime this offseason. Parsons initially set a target for the start of free agency for his extension to be in hand, although he has since shifted that goal to this summer’s training camp. Plenty of time therefore remains for a potential holdout to be avoided.

The Cowboys’ OTAs will take place in May, and they will be followed by a three-day minicamp in early June. The latter event is the only one before training camp where attendance is mandatory, but Parsons could have a deal in place by that point if talks continue on the extension front.

April 2: Parsons took umbrage at Jones’ recent comments dismissing the importance of his agent, David Mulugheta. Jones stated that “the agent is not a concern here” and even said that he didn’t know Mulugheta’s name, per Hill.

Parsons fired back in a post on X, saying that he wouldn’t sign a contract without his agents involvement and telling the Cowboys that there would be “no backdoors” in their negotiations. The All-Pro edge rusher asked the Joneses to contact his agent regarding negotiations, but they have not reached out, per Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. Mulugheta has spoken with Cowboys director of salary cap/player contracts Adam Prasifka.

APRIL 1: As of last week, it appeared as though no extension offer had been made by the Cowboys to Micah Parsons. That has apparently changed, and the team is willing to go to record-breaking lengths to get a deal done.

Dallas has submitted an offer which will make Parsons the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Clarence Hill Jr. of All DLLS reports. That title currently belongs to receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whose Bengals extension averages $40.25MM per year. Amongst edge rushers in particular (and defenders in general), Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett leads the way at $40MM annually.

Interestingly, Hill adds an agreement is in place following a meeting between Parsons and owner Jerry Jones. Serious extension talks were not believed to have ocurred prior to this latest update. A sticking point with respect to a contract being signed, however, is the fact the summit between Jones and Parsons did not involve the latter’s agent, David Mulugheta. No talks with Mulugheta present have taken place since the Combine, per Hill.

“Some guys want to visit,” EVP Stephen Jones recently said when speaking about Parsons’ situation (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “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.”

Jerry Jones confirmed on Tuesday that multiple meetings with Parsons have occurred and that an agreement is in place on several contract-related fronts (h/t ESPN’s Todd Archer). Nothing is imminent at this time, however. Nevertheless, it is clear considerable progress has been made toward ensuring the 25-year-old remains in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

Parsons has racked up between 12 and 14 sacks each year to date. He is under contract for 2025 as a result of the team’s decision to pick up his $24.01MM fifth-year option, but a long-term pact will of course be much more expensive. The four-time Pro Bowler has been attached to an asking price of $200MM on his extension, although it is unclear how long such a pact would be. Hitting that total on a five-year deal would match Garrett’s AAV; if the Cowboys are indeed prepared to move Parsons to the top of the defensive pecking order, though, his new deal will need to be shorter or reach an even higher total value.

The Cowboys made a pair of monster long-term commitments in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last offseason. It quickly became clear a new Parsons accord would need to wait until 2025, and the Penn State product’s initial goal of working out a deal before free agency was pushed back to training camp. Given today’s development, hitting that new target certainly seems feasible.

The team has previously spoken to Parsons about attending voluntary workouts this spring. On that point, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Archer) he expects that to be the case. Dallas’ offseason program begins April 14, and Parsons attending could represent another sign an agreement is close.

The Cowboys took plenty of heat for holding off on CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott extensions until late last summer. Micah Parsons‘ negotiations (or lack thereof) are reminding of Dallas’ 2024, though it is still early.

No substantive Parsons talks have commenced, and no offer is believed to be on the table from the Cowboys just yet. But Parsons has a big number in mind. The fifth-year edge rusher is believed to be pursuing a deal that would make him the NFL’s first $200MM defender, the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins reports. No non-quarterback has reached that number, though the Cowboys’ history would point to the team being interested — depending on term length.

[RELATED: Parsons Has ‘Plan In Place’ For Negotiations]

It is not known if the contract-year dynamo is targeting a four-year, $200MM pact — which would shatter the defender record Myles Garrett just set — or merely a five-year, $200MM deal that would match the Browns All-Pro for AAV. Parsons expressed interest last year in becoming the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, even floating a $40MM-per-year number well before the EDGE market was close to that range.

It would stand to reason Parsons would set his sights on a $50MM-per-year extension to start negotiations, even if that proves unattainable. As of now, only quarterbacks are in the $50MM-AAV club. A three-time All-Pro, Parsons makes sense as the player who could take the defender market there. Even with the cap rising at a rapid rate during the 2020 CBA, the Cowboys are unlikely to be ready to raise the defender rate that high at this point.

Garrett secured $40MM per year despite being set to turn 30 in December. Parsons will be 26 in May. If the Cowboys can convince Parsons to accept a five-year deal, it would be in line with many of their big-ticket contract structures. Dallas has successfully managed to tie down stars to five- and even six-year deals, but the team could not do so with Lamb or Prescott, who each signed four-year extensions. As the cap keeps rising, it would make sense for Parsons to follow suit in an effort to be able to secure a top-market third contract when that time comes.

As for Parsons’ plans regarding voluntary offseason workouts without an extension, Watkins adds the 2021 first-rounder is undecided. Parsons has been an infrequent participant in the past, though he has always reported to minicamp. It would cost him barely $100K to skip the mandatory workout this year. If the Cowboys do not have him signed by June, a minicamp absence should probably be considered in play. Several players, including Lamb, have taken this step during extension talks in recent years. Zack Martin held out of training camp in 2023, and the Cowboys eventually caved by authorizing nearly $40MM guaranteed to close his contract. Those precedents are certainly relevant re: Parsons.

Prescott’s deal, thanks to historic leverage, came in $5MM (in terms of AAV) north of where the QB market had previously plateaued. Lamb is the NFL’s third-highest-paid wide receiver. The Cowboys have shot down Parsons trade rumors, though a December report suggested internal discussions about a potential trade occurred, and appear prepared to pay up — even if it will mean a historically top-heavy payroll. But their pattern of being late to the party regarding extensions could prove costly here.

Garrett already drove the market to $40MM per year — up from Maxx Crosby‘s $35.5MM number reached earlier this month — and T.J. Watt will naturally be interested in topping that. Aidan Hutchinson also should be considered likely to score a deal north of Garrett’s, seeing as he is going into an age-25 season. Those deals coming to pass would give Parsons more ammo. Though, Watt and Hutchinson not moving too far past $40MM per year would also provide the Cowboys with the ability to keep Parsons’ cost in a known neighborhood.

With the first few waves of free agency in the books, teams can turn their attention to working out extensions in a number of cases. That includes Micah Parsons and the Cowboys, although no agreement on that front is expected any time soon.

Parsons is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2025, but a long-term pact will come at a much higher price than his scheduled $24.01MM for next season. An extension may not require making the four-time Pro Bowler the league’s highest-paid edge rusher; nevertheless, the new deals for Maxx Crosby (Raiders) and Myles Garrett (Browns) have raised the top of the position’s market. Garrett’s Cleveland extension carries an annual average value of $40MM, a figure which will no doubt play a role in Cowboys-Parsons negotiations.

Recent reporting on that front indicated serious contract talks have yet to take place, and NFL Network’s Jane Slater adds no offer has been submitted at this point. Parsons and owner Jerry Jones have been in communication “many times” during the offseason, per Slater, which comes as no surprise. The 25-year-old indicated last month a plan was in place regarding an extension, and preliminary talks opened up earlier in March. This latest update makes it clear, however, that considerable work is still to be done for an agreement to be reached.

Parsons missed only one game across his first three seasons in Dallas, recording between 13 and 14 sacks each year. The Penn State product was limited to 13 contests in 2024, but he still managed 12 sacks and 46 quarterback pressures (the second-highest total of his career). Expectations will be high for continued production on a multi-year deal, one which will of course take into account the cap commitments already made to the likes of quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb.

Dallas had DeMarcus Lawrence in place as part of a starting tandem with Parsons for four years, but the team did not make an offer to the former before seeing him depart for Seattle as a free agent. Veteran Dante Fowler returned to the Cowboys, and he joins an edge rush group which also features recent draftees Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland. Retaining cost-effective options at the position will of course be key with Parsons representing a major long-term cap commitment once his deal is in place.

Per Slater, discussions between team and player took place at the Combine but nothing substantive has transpired since then. She adds Parsons’ camp is open to further talks at any time, and it will be interesting to see if negotiations are pursued in the near future as a result.

Midway through the 2024 campaign, Micah Parsons indicated his preference would be for a Cowboys extension to be in place before the start of free agency. That has not proven to be the case, and nothing is imminent between team and player in this situation.

Preliminary talks started earlier this month, opening the lines of communication in advance of what will be a massive extension agreement. Parsons recently noted a plan is in place regarding a deal being worked out, with training camp emerging as the new target with respect to a timeline. No progress has been made at this point, however, WFAA’s Ed Werder reports.

The edge rush market was well-known as one to watch in advance of the 2025 offseason, and as expected it has seen upward movement. Maxx Crosby‘s latest Raiders deal carries an average annual value $35.5MM, a mark which did not last long atop the position’s pecking order. Myles Garrett‘s trade request was rescinded in the wake of his monster extension (four years, $160MM) which was signed days later. Parsons could use those new price points during negotiations once they ramp up.

On that point, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports serious contract talks have not begun yet. Dallas prioritized new deals for quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb last offseason, eventually working out an agreement on both fronts. Considering Lamb’s came about after training camp began and Prescott’s was made official on the day of the Cowboys’ regular season opener, plenty of time could still be required for Parsons’ new pact to be signed.

The 25-year-old has been a Pro Bowler during each of his four seasons in the NFL, recording at least 12 sacks every time along the way (despite missing four games in 2024). Those factors will help his bargaining position, especially if the Steelers and T.J. Watt hammer out an extension in the near future and if Trey Hendrickson lands a lucrative new deal with the Bengals or an acquiring team. Parsons has publicly stated a willingness to take less than the top of the market on his next deal, but any long-term pact will of course have considerable cap implications for the Cowboys.

Dallas saw DeMarcus Lawrence depart on a Seahawks deal last week after not making an offer to the 11-year veteran. Parsons (who is currently set to play on his $24.01MM fifth-year option next season) remains in the fold as the team’s anchor along the edge, with recent draftees Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland along with reunited veteran Dante Fowler also in place. That group will be key in 2025, the first year with Matt Eberflus in place as defensive coordinator. Attending voluntary offseason workouts this spring is something the team will discuss with Parsons, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News writes. Whether or not traction will have been gained by then will remain an interesting storyline to follow.