Considerable time has taken place since Micah Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones agreed in principle on an extension. The edge rush market could very well see further movement before an agreement is finalized in this case, something which would increase the cost of a monster second contract.

In April, it was reported Dallas was prepared to make Parsons the league’s highest earner for non-quarterbacks. During his most recent comments on the matter – an interview with DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr. – the two-time All-Pro confirmed his target is to become the highest-paid player outside the QB spot. In terms of AAV, that title currently belongs to Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase ($40.25MM per year).

Myles Garrett leads the way in terms of pass rushers. His new Browns pact averages $40MM annually, a bar which could be cleared in the event T.J. Watt secures another Steelers extension. The latter has an offer on the table, the particulars of which are not publicly known. Interestingly, Parsons said in his interview he is aware of Watt’s asking price and noted it is higher than the deal he and Jones previously agreed to.

In the event Watt – who skipped minicamp this week and does not appear to be signing a deal in the immediate future – does ink a third Pittsburgh pact before Parsons, that will have a notable effect. The Cowboys finalizing a contract with the four time Pro Bowler would come at a higher cost if Watt does manage to surpass Garrett’s benchmark. To little surprise, Parsons expressed his surprise during the interview at the fact his extension has still not been finalized given the legwork which was done months ago.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year has notched at least 12 sacks every year to date despite the fact he missed four games last season. Parsons will be counted on to remain highly productive in 2025, during which he is slated to receive $24.01MM on his fifth-year option. A long-term pact will cost much more, especially given the EDGE market’s upward movement since he first became eligible for an extension last offseason. The Penn State product has already made it clear his deal will be impacted by others signed this offseason.

Parsons originally stated his desire for an extension to be in place before free agency began in mid-March. With that time having come and gone, training camp represents the next target. During the interview, he said would be willing to attend camp even without a deal in hand and thus avoid daily fines. Parsons added, however, that he would not participate in camp in such a scenario (after he did take part in on-field work during minicamp).

The prospect of a hold-in will become a moot point if team and player can finalize an agreement over the coming weeks. Whether or not that takes place will continue to depend in part on other moves amongst some of the league’s top remaining extension-eligible players, though.

Micah Parsons has been absent for parts of OTAs this year as he continues to await a Cowboys extension. A holdout during upcoming minicamp would represent an escalation in this situation, but that will not take place.

Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said he was unsure if Parsons planned to attend the mandatory practices when speaking to the media (via All City DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr.). He added there is nothing new with respect to the status of extension talks. There is still work to be done on that front, and Parsons and owner Jerry Jones have not been in direct contact for weeks.

The All-Pro edge rusher took to social media to confirm he will indeed be present for minicamp. Choosing to be absent would have made Parsons open to fines, but he will attend (something he also did last offseason, the first in which he was eligible for an extension). Players often hold in for minicamp and/or training camp by electing not to take part in on-field work until an extension is worked out. It will be interesting to see if that takes place in this case.

A flight delay prevented Parsons from arriving at OTAs earlier this week, as noted by Hill. Regardless of how the 26-year-old’s attendance and participation (or lack thereof) plays out, the matter of his second contract will of course remain a key storyline for the Cowboys. An April report indicated Parsons and Jerry Jones worked out the bulk of an extension agreement, but no deal has been signed yet. Until that changes, the four-time Pro Bowler will remain on track for free agency next spring.

Parsons is owed $24.01MM this season as a result of the Cowboys’ decision to pick up his fifth-year option. A long-term deal will of course cost much more, and the top of the edge rush market now sits at $40MM per season. Myles Garrett moved the bar with his Browns extension, and T.J. Watt (Steelers) and Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) are expected to land lucrative new pacts soon. Parsons is notably younger than each member of that trio, however, something which could result in him becoming the league’s top earner amongst pass rushers by the start of the season.

Jones and the Cowboys have a well-earned reputation for taking longer than needed to work out extensions with their top players; the negotiation process for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last summer provided a pair of clear examples on that point. Parsons hopes to have his mega-deal in hand by training camp at the latest, and while it remains to be seen if that will be the case he will be present to take part in any potential negotiations during Dallas’ minicamp.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that Micah Parsons is not participating in the team’s second set of OTAs, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

The All-Pro edge rusher did attend the first day of OTAs last week, but was not present for subsequent practices.

All eyes have been on Parsons’ ongoing contract negotiations this offseason. Extensions for Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby have turned up the pressure on Dallas to get a deal done. Parsons has said that he wants to finalize an agreement before training camp so he can “hit the ground running,” but he is prepared to stage a hold-in if that doesn’t happen.

The Cowboys last set of OTAs is scheduled for the first week of June, followed by mandatory minicamp the week after. The team will then break until training camp starts in July, which should give the two sides plenty of time to reach an agreement that will likely make Parsons the NFL’s highest-paid defender (and perhaps the highest-paid non-quarterback).

Parsons’ negotiations appear to be taking a similar progression to those of CeeDee Lamb. Lamb skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp last year and staged a holdout well into training camp until he finally signed a four-year, $136MM deal. However, Lamb had to compete for the Cowboys’ attention with Dak Prescott also demanding a new contract last summer, while the team has no such distractions this year.

At this point, it’s unclear what gap remains in negotiations. Parsons has repeatedly proven himself to be one of the best defenders in the league and the market at his position has been clearly defined this offseason. One report in April indicated that the two sides had agreed on the framework of an extension, but the Cowboys’ lack of communication with Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, could be holding up a finalized agreement on the contract’s exact structure and guarantees.

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.