The Cowboys’ offseason program came and went without a Micah Parsons extension agreement being reached. The threat of missed time (or at least non-participation) during training camp now exists, but the All-Pro is still targeting a deal being worked out before mid-July.

“I’m pretty hopeful,” Parsons said about the timeline of an extension (via Jori Epstein of Yahoo! Sports). “I’m still hanging tight. I understand it’s up to [owner Jerry Jones] and he gives the green light on everything. So hopefully something’s done by next month.”

Parsons once targeted March as the time for a deal to be in place. Having his financial outlook sorted out ahead of free agency would have helped inform Dallas’ other moves this spring, but since the framework of an agreement was reached in person between Parsons and Jones there has been little progress in extension talks. In addition to finances, the length of a monster deal appears to be a sticking point between the parties.

The top of the pass rush market stands at $40MM annually, but T.J. Watt in particular represents a candidate to move the bar even higher. As Parsons (who is four years younger than Watt) waits to see how the Steelers fare with their top edge rusher, he could elect to delay signing a Dallas extension in a bid to become the league’s top earner at the position. As things stand, the Penn State product is due to earn $24.01MM on his fifth-year option.

A long-term deal will be worth far more, but it will be interesting to see if Parsons and the Cowboys – known to prefer longer term on their extension agreements – can find common ground on that front before finalizing the financial details of a contract. It took deep into the offseason last year for CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott to sign their respective pacts, and Parsons not having his in hand by the start of camp (July 21) would add further uncertainty to the Cowboys’ top storyline.

The two-time All-Pro previously stated he would attend training camp (and thus avoid mandatory fines) without taking part in on-field work. Parsons confirmed he will be in Oxnard, California during his latest remarks on his future, but when asked this time whether or not he would participate he replied, “we’ll see. Time will tell.”

The Cowboys are no strangers to lengthy negotiating periods with high-profile players, and this offseason has proven to be no exception. Micah Parsons is still a pending 2026 free agent with this year’s offseason program in the books.

He and owner Jerry Jones spoke months ago and made considerable progress toward a final agreement. Nothing is in place now, though, and the two parties have not spoken for some time. Finances are always a key factor in extension talks, but the length of a deal is crucial as well. On the latter point, the Cowboys have often favored longer agreements and it appears that could be an issue with respect to Parsons.

Term length seems to be a sticking point between the Cowboys and the two-time All-Pro, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes (video link). Longer deals with the likes of Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and DeMarcus Lawrence have demonstrated the team’s preference when it comes to big-ticket extensions. More recently, pacts for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb (both four years in length) illustrate how that approach may be shifting in the wake of player preferring more frequent opportunities to test the market.

At the age of 26 and with 52.5 sacks to his name, Parsons is an obvious candidate for a major raise over the course of several years. The four-time Pro Bowler intends to reset the EDGE market on his new deal, something which would require surpassing Myles Garrett‘s $40MM per year as things stand. Extensions for the likes of T.J. Watt, Aidan Hutchinson and Trey Hendrickson could move the bar even higher this summer, something which would add to the cost of waiting on the Cowboys’ part.

It is unclear what terms Dallas is prepared to offer in this case, along with the particulars Parsons is seeking. With a training camp hold-in looming, though, progress regarding not only financials but also contract structure will need to be made over the next few weeks.

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.