Micah Parsons

Micah Parsons Attempted To Restart Cowboys Extension Talks Prior To Trade

August 29th, 2025 at 11:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

One week before the start of the regular season, the Cowboys and Packers completed a landscape-altering trade. Micah Parsons will play out his second contract in Green Bay after talks with Dallas did not produce a deal.

Further details on the process which ultimately resulted in Parsons landing a record-breaking investment for non-quarterbacks have emerged. The four-time Pro Bowler and his camp spent a lengthy period without negotiations taking place, with owner Jerry Jones attempting to stick to the terms spoke about during the spring. Agent David Mulugheta was not present for that conversation, something which proved to be a central talking point in this saga.

In the aftermath of the trade, Parsons told NFL Network’s Jane Slater he and his camp went to the team in a bid to reengage on contract talks once reports emerged about a trade being possible in recent days. The two-time All-Pro said Dallas’ response was for him to commit to playing on his fifth-year option or to “leave.” During Thursday’s press conference, Jones confirmed (via colleague Mike Garafolo) that was the team’s stance leading up to the trade being finalized.

“We do have players that come in, and we totally respect it, that say, ‘I don’t feel comfortable talking about my contract. I’d like you to go through my agent,'” COO Stephen Jones said during the presser (via Garafolo). “And we do that respectfully. I mean, you’re not required to come in and negotiate the contract yourself. All the ones we’ve done like that are those who request to come in and visit with Jerry or myself. That’s the only ones we’ve done that way.”

Among Jerry Jones’ many comments on the situation was the claim he offered to make Parsons the top earner for non-quarterbacks during the unofficial spring contract talks. A report from yesterday indicated the deal discussed was five years in length and averaged $40.5MM per season. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe confirms (subscription required) those were indeed the terms presented by Dallas. In the end, Parsons landed $47MM on average – along with massive guarantee figures – on a four-year Packers extension. Term length is often a point of contention regarding Cowboys contract talks, with the team preferring longer pacts.

As the Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb deals indicated last offseason, though, Jones and Co. have been willing to compromise with four-year accords. That did not prove to be the case with Parsons. As a result, the 26-year-old is on the move just before Week 1. The deteriorating relationship between team and player in this case included a trade request being issued on August 1, something which is commonplace during extension talks. Jerry and Stephen Jones added during the press conference (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport) they never felt as if Parsons genuinely wanted to leave, though.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes the length of Dallas’ offer appears to have been an issue. He adds the Penn State product’s behavior shifted over the course of the summer as this situation played out; Parsons attended walkthroughs and team meetings but did not take part in on-field drills during training camp. His decision to lay on medical table during Dallas’ final preseason contest became a talking point (and was immediately followed by a meeting with head coach Brian Schottenheimer). Jerry Jones noted that episode did not impact the decision to move forward with a trade.

“We’ve certainly got a new coaching staff and a third of all the players are new,” Jones said (via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News) when reflecting on the Parsons trade and the Cowboys’ 2025 prospects. “And obviously there is freshness, we’ll use the word new on that basis. We have the highest-paid player in the NFL at quarterback and we made that commitment last year and we’re proud we made it. It had everything to do with this decision. It gives us every opportunity with Dak Prescott, Lamb and the base that we got to win now.”

Observers are skeptical about Dallas’ defense improving in the short term without Parsons in the fold, although the inclusion of defensive tackle Kenny Clark in the package sent from Green Bay will help the Cowboys’ run defense. The fate of the two first-round picks Dallas also received will be key in telling the final story of this trade. For now, all parties are positioned to move forward after a last-minute effort to work out a Cowboys extension was shut down.

Cowboys Limited Micah Parsons Trade Conversations To Teams With DT Depth; No Talks Occurred Pre-Draft

August 29th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of this century’s most significant NFL transactions occurred Thursday, when the Cowboys shockingly traded Micah Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and 10th-year defensive tackle Kenny Clark. After a monthslong saga that brought a host of rumors (and Jerry Jones confirming them in his rather pivotal Michael Irvin interview) no trade would happen, Parsons has since arrived in Green Bay and is now tied to a record-smashing defender contract.

While the topic of a trade came up multiple times during this process — including an early-February report indicating internal dialogue transpired on a deal — no real waves surfaced regarding a swap until this week. Parsons’ camp had attempted to reengage with Jones, who had waged an interesting crusade against the defensive end’s agent (David Mulugheta) during this saga, this week but was told he would either play on his fifth-year option number or be traded.

Parsons has barely a week to prepare for the Packers’ opener. It does not sound like the four-time Pro Bowler will be a full-time participant — after a de facto hold-in — according to Brian Gutekunst (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). Parsons attended Cowboys minicamp and training camp but did not practice, using a back injury as cover during training camp. That was never viewed as a major issue, the Thursday trade haul confirming the Packers’ minimal concerns here.

Jones’ stance of Clark replacing Parsons on the 2025 being a net gain is a tough sell, as the 2026 and ’27 first-rounders are the lead assets here — for a Cowboys team that has drafted eight All-Pros in Round 1 since 2010. But the longtime owner did say the team’s interest in adding a D-tackle impacted the team’s search.

The 37th-year owner indicated (via NFL.com’s Jane Slater) the Cowboys only discussed trades with teams who carried sufficient DT depth and would be willing to meet Parsons’ contractual demands. The latter component goes without saying in a trade like this, but it is interesting the Cowboys made the DT position a central part of this deal.

This included “several” conversations with the Packers, per Jones (via TMJ4’s Ashley Washburn) in recent days. While the Cowboys would presumably have a much better chance to justify Jones’ comments about potential post-Parsons improvement in 2025 had they unloaded the superstar EDGE before the draft, the owner/GM said (via Slater) the team did begin considering it in the spring. Though, the 82-year-old Cowboys honcho added the team did not discuss Parsons with other clubs pre-draft.

Jones (via Slater) cited the Cowboys’ D-end depth as a reason they felt OK making this seismic move. Dallas used a second-round pick on a defensive end for the third time in four years, adding Donovan Ezeiruaku a year after selecting Marshawn Kneeland. Sam Williams is also a former second-rounder, but the 2022 draftee is coming off an ACL tear.

Dallas also reunited with Dante Fowler, who registered a Washington-best 10.5 sacks last season. That said, ESPN.com’s Bill Barnwell relayed a telling stat about Parsons’ value to the team. From 2021-24, Dallas led the league in defensive EPA per play with Parsons on the field. In 1,039 snaps without Parsons in that span, the Cowboys’ defense ranked 31st in that metric.

Jones (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) cited run defense as a key need. The Cowboys, who have not invested much at linebacker in recent years, ranked 29th in run defense last season and 22nd in 2022. In their 2021 and ’23 playoff years, the team ranked 16th.

A 2016 first-round pick, Clark was a nine-year Packers starter en route to two extensions. He earned Pro Bowl nods in 2019, 2021 and 2023, being regarded as one of the NFL’s better DTs. Pro Football Focus ranked Clark 53rd among interior D-linemen last season — a career-worst finish — but ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric slotted him 18th among DTs in 2023.

Clark, 30 in October, also underwent offseason foot surgery to address an issue that hampered him in 2024. Clark joins the recently re-signed Osa Odighizuwa (four years, $80MM) as high-priced DTs in Dallas, which took on Clark’s three-year, $64MM extension that runs through 2027.

Although Gutekunst said Friday (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) he only believed a legitimate shot at landing Parsons existed a couple days ago, the Packers had the framework of a trade by Wednesday (via Demovsky) were both among the first teams to reach out and appealed to Parsons. Green Bay reminding Parsons of Penn State, where he attended college, increased his interest, per the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins. The $47MM-per-year windfall — $6MM north (in AAV) from T.J. Watt‘s previous non-QB record and $6.5MM higher than Dallas had offered — didn’t hurt, either.

Jones said (via Garafolo) the intra-NFC component of this trade did not matter to him, indicating he would only have avoided trading within the NFC East. Parsons, 26, will return to Dallas as a Packer in Week 4. While we might learn some dissenting opinions down the road, depending on how this trade goes, Jones said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) the front office and coaching staff were “unanimous” this was the right trade to make.

Clark was “shocked” by the trade; he joins some Cowboys in reacting that way. Brian Schottenheimer said (via WFAA’s Ed Werder) he talked to between 12 and 14 players, including Dak Prescott and Trevon Diggs, about the move at it was completed. Schottenheimer had said he was confident Parsons would suit up for the Cowboys in Week 1, but days after he spoke with the disgruntled player about his actions during the Cowboys’ preseason finale, the new HC will oversee a lower-profile pass-rushing group. Schottenheimer added Friday this trade was “not an overnight thing.”

“This is not something we came about; it wasn’t something where it was like an overnight thing,” Schottenheimer said. “We had talked about it, and at the end of the day, I think when you look at a football team, when you can potentially add up to four or five players and things like that, it gives you the ability to do some things.”

It certainly seems like the Cowboys pivoted, as their aim had been to extend Parsons in 2025 for a while. They prioritized Prescott and CeeDee Lamb deals in their 2024 contract years, giving them top-end contracts — Prescott’s a still-unapproached $60MM-per-year accord — just before last season. This Parsons zag naturally prompted Jones to bring up the seminal Herschel Walker trade, which ignited the Cowboys’ rebuild into a three-Super Bowl run between 1992-95.

In Jones and Jimmy Johnson‘s first year at the helm, the Cowboys received a staggering haul for the then-superstar running back in October 1989, landing three first-round picks, three second-rounders, a third and a sixth between the 1990 and ’92 drafts. The Parsons haul does not compare to the Walker swap, which would be an impossible deal to pull off today.

These extension talks breaking down led to the Cowboys betting they can improve based on the two additional first-round picks — and whatever Clark can provide in his early 30s — they collected from the Packers. Early proclamations for the Green Bay side as the trade winner have emerged, but Dallas has two first-round choices to make before the judges’ scorecards are turned in on this momentous swap down the road.

Cowboys Trade Micah Parsons To Packers

August 28th, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

Trade chatter surrounding Micah Parsons has proven to be substantive. Not long after a Thursday report indicated the star edge rusher could be on the move, a blockbuster trade has indeed been worked out.

The Cowboys have an agreement in place to send Parsons to the Packers, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater. The package heading back to Dallas includes two first-round picks. Rapoport adds defensive tackle Kenny Clark is also going to the Cowboys as the final part of the trade agreement. The move is now official.

As part of this massive deal, Parsons has worked out a Packers extension. A four-year, $188MM accord has been agreed to, per the NFL Network report (which has since been confirmed by others). The deal contains $136MM in total guarantees. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds Parsons will receive $120MM fully locked in at signing, including $62MM paid out in 2025. Those figures – along with a $47MM average annual value – easily mark a new high point in compensation for non-quarterbacks.

In recent days, the possibility of a trade has gained steam. Yesterday, it was reported the Packers were among the teams showing interest; as such, it is reasonable Green Bay is where Parsons is now headed. Still, today’s move is a massive development for all involved and marks a departure from standard operating procedure in the Packers’ case. The team has a reputation as a draft-and-develop franchise, and that includes recent first-round investments along the edge in Rashan Gary (2019) and Lukas Van Ness (2024).

Both of those players will remain in place even with Parsons arriving. Green Bay’s defensive front has nevertheless been dealt a blow with Clark heading the other way. The three-time Pro Bowler has spent his entire nine-year career with the Packers, and he will provide the Cowboys with a needed upgrade at the DT spot. Clark, 29, has three years remaining on his contract. The former first-rounder posted a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2023, but that figure fell to one last season. Even without a bounce-back in that department, stable play against the run would be welcomed by the Cowboys.

Dallas has a reputation for dragging high-profile negotiations deep into the offseason. Many observers viewed the Parsons situation as the latest example of that, but relations between the 26-year-old and owner Jerry Jones have taken a turn for the worst this summer. Informal talks between the two produced a handshake agreement during the spring, one Jones maintained a desire to stick to in the process of finalizing an extension. When Parsons went public with his trade request at the start of the month, though, he stated he did not want to be held to the terms mentioned in that conversation. No formal offer is known to have been made by Dallas, and negotiations came to a halt in the wake of Jones’ comments on agent David Mulugheta.

Per Rapoport, this trade was agreed to earlier this week. Negotiations then turned to the matter of an extension, with Mulugheta negotiating this monster accord. The Packers’ financial outlook will be altered considerably with this deal in place, especially since quarterback Jordan Love is attached to one of the league’s most expensive accords. The team’s window to contend for a Super Bowl is obviously viewed as being open given this trade.

Dallas, meanwhile, still has a core headlined by Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. They both signed major extensions of their own last offseason, and Clark joins Osa Odighizuwa (re-upped this spring on a $20MM-per-year deal) as a key figure on defense for 2025 and beyond. The Cowboys are thus not in a position to turn away from contention in the near future, but with one week remaining in the offseason they have moved on from arguably their best player.

The Cowboys lost DeMarcus Lawrence during free agency, so today’s blockbuster means both of their starting edge rush spots will have new occupants. Sam Williams, Dante Fowler, Marshawn Kneeland, James Houston and second-round rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku are in position to handle pass rush duties moving forward. How that group fares will be key in determining the success of the post-Parsons Dallas defense.

The Packers went 9-8 during Love’s first season as their starting quarterback, and they improved to 11-6 last season. A step toward the NFL’s elite was targeted in their roster moves this offseason, and that process has extended deep into August. Parsons was already on the books for 2025 due to his fifth-year option (the value of which is yet to be finalized). The All-Pro is now under contract through 2029.

“I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control,” a statement from Parsons reads in part. “My heart has always been [in Dallas], and it still is. Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything more than fairness. I only asked that the person I trust to negotiate my contract be part of the process.

“Thank you, Cowboys Nation, for every cheer, every moment, and every ounce of love you showed me. Wearing the star has been the honor of my life.”

As Schefter notes, 29 players drafted since 1970 have been named to the Pro Bowl in each of their first four seasons. Parsons will be the first name on that list to play for a different team in their fifth NFL campaign. Dallas and Green Bay will meet in a Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 4. It goes without saying what the top storyline for that contest will be.

Cowboys Willing To Listen To Micah Parsons Trade Offers?

August 28th, 2025 at 2:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

Since Micah Parsons issued his trade request, it has not appeared likely that a deal sending him away from Dallas will take place. The team’s stance on this front could be changing.

The Cowboys now “appear willing to at least listen” to Parsons trade offers, ESPN’s Todd Archer, Adam Schefter and Dan Graziano report. Calls have come in over recent weeks amidst the ongoing lack of progress regarding extension talks. As of last week, however, general managers around the league did not view a Parsons trade as being feasible.

Owner Jerry Jones has publicly stated Dallas will not trade the two-time All-Pro. Indeed, the ESPN report notes nothing is considered imminent at this time. It comes as no surprise a market exists for Parsons, but it would still come as a major shock if any move sending him out of Dallas were to take place (especially at this point in the offseason). Per the report, the Cowboys are aiming for a resolution of some kind before their season opener next week.

A number of outcomes remain possible, including a long-term pact being worked out just before Week 1. Jones reportedly offered an extension which would have made Parsons the league’s highest-paid edge rusher when speaking with the 26-year-old this spring. The ESPN trio adds further context on that point, noting the Cowboys’ offer was five years in length and averaged $40.5MM per season. Dialogue since then has been sparse, with both sides exchanging public remarks and agent David Mulugheta’s involvement in negotiations proving to be a major sticking point.

Crucially, the ESPN piece notes (and All City DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr. confirms) Mulugheta has yet to receive permission from the Cowboys to discuss an extension with any potential acquiring team. No trade would take place, of course, without an agreement in hand on a multi-year accord for the four-time Pro Bowler. No firm links have been made yet to interested teams in terms of the details of any trade offer, but a Wednesday report indicated the Packers are among the potential destinations if a swap is to take place.

Parsons is on the books for one more season, and the Cowboys could retain him via the franchise tag for 2026 and ’27. The value of his fifth-year option is a matter of dispute, based on the position he is classified as. For now, the former Defensive Rookie of the Year is slated to collect $21.32MM as a defensive end; a switch to outside linebacker would increase his option valuation to $24.01MM. A grievance has been filed, so the matter will remain unresolved pending a conclusion to the case or a compromise being agreed to.

So far in his career, Parsons has racked up 52.5 sacks in 63 regular season games. The Penn State product would be an attractive trade target for any number of teams, but the list of suitors will be dictated by the number of teams with sufficient draft capital to swing a deal along with the cap space to accommodate a massive Parsons extension. The presence of one more teams meeting those criteria could create a bidding war, but only if Jones and the Cowboys truly open the door to dealing him away. Dallas’ willingness to do so will certainly be worth watching over the coming days.

Packers Interested In Micah Parsons Trade; Cowboys DE Files Grievance Over Fifth-Year Option Salary

August 27th, 2025 at 11:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

The hold-ins keeping Terry McLaurin and Trey Hendrickson off the field have come to an end this week. No resolution on the Micah Parsons front appears imminent, however.

Parsons’ trade request still stands, and the thought of a departure from the Cowboys will remain a talking point until and unless an extension agreement can be reached. By and large, teams do not view a Parsons trade as being viable and Dallas does not intend to pull off a deal. At least one potential suitor is worth watching in this case, though.

Whispers about the Packers looking into a Parsons trade have picked up recently, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports the team is indeed “interested.” Of course, that would no doubt apply to any number of potential landing spots for the All-Pro edge rusher, and Florio cautions Green Bay’s interest is “nowhere near the smoke that’s out there.”

When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was asked about the late-summer trade market. Without mentioning Parsons by name, he left the door open to a notable move taking place. If Green Bay were to swing a deal, pass rush could represent a logical target.

“You’re never one player away, but good players make impacts,’ Gutekunst said (via Ryan Wood of USA Today). “Any time there’s a player of that caliber you can acquire, you’re trying to.”

Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have escalated tensions over a lack of communication involving agent David Mulugheta regarding extension talks. Any new deal which is reached will no doubt make him the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL, something Jones has stated he communicated a willingness over to Parsons when the two spoke this spring. In the absence of a long-term pact, though, a campaign spent on the fifth-year option is in store.

Parsons is slated to collect $24.01MM this season as a result, although Florio reports a grievance was filed earlier this offseason regarding the value of the one-year tender. Edge rushers often encounter situations such as this based on the variance in value between outside linebackers and defensive ends. Parsons is currently viewed by the Cowboys as a DE, something which would drop his option value to $21.32MM. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year and his camp, by contrast, are attempting to have him classified as an OLB.

A number Parsons’ Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods have come with him listed as a linebacker, but the key determinant in this situation is his most common position played in 2023 (his third NFL season). Circumstances such as this often result in a compromise being agreed to between team and player regarding the option value, but the Parsons-Jones relationship is – at least publicly – rather strained at the moment. That could complicate efforts to resolve this matter, which is of course small in comparison to extension talks.

A back issue has been present in Parsons’ case for much of the summer while he has remained a non-participant in training camp. The 26-year-old recently underwent an MRI which came back clean, but this layer to the ongoing saga may not be over. NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports Parsons is now seeking a second opinion on his back. It will be interesting to see what becomes of that endeavor.

Eight days remain until the Cowboys kick off the regular season; it remains unclear whether or not Parsons will suit up for that contest. Meanwhile, with a trade potentially seen as feasible, the Packers’ moves over the coming days will be worth watching closely.

Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer To Meet With Micah Parsons

August 24th, 2025 at 10:31am CST by Adam La Rose

The ongoing Cowboys-Micah Parsons contract saga saw another interesting twist during Dallas’ final preseason contest on Friday. In the third quarter of that game, Parsons – whose star status would have kept him on the sidelines even if he had an extension in place – lay on the medical table behind the team bench while the offense was on the field (as relayed by ESPN’s Todd Archer). He was also the only player not wearing a team jersey.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he would speak with Parsons about the matter on Sunday. This latest development comes amidst ongoing uncertainty regarding the All-Pro’s future. Serious extension talks have not taken place since the spring (if the conversation between Parsons and owner Jerry Jones can be classified as such) and with Week 1 approaching, no agreement appears to be imminent.

“Without talking to Micah, I need to figure out what he was doing and why he was doing it,” Schottenheimer said (via Archer). “So, until I talk to him, I’m obviously not going to talk about it.”

Jones’ latest round of public appearances have seen him state his offer to Parsons would have made him the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback. That could still turn out to be the case, although the cost of doing so would now include an annual average salary surpassing T.J. Watt‘s $41MM figure. Involving agent David Mulugheta in the negotiating process has proven to be a major sticking point; Jones and Mulugheta have not spoken since Parsons went public with a trade request.

Inquiries from interested teams have been made, although the widespread expectation around the league remains no Parsons swap will take place. The 26-year-old is a pending 2026 free agent, but the prospect of one or two franchise tags looms as a means of Dallas keeping him in the fold well beyond the coming campaign. Given the timeline along which high-profile Cowboys contract talks traditionally take place, there is of course still a strong chance a last-minute deal will be struck on the extension front.

Parsons has not participated in training camp while seeking an extension but also while dealing with back tightness. Injuries (legitimate or otherwise) are commonplace when it comes to players in his situation, and Schottenheimer noted Parsons underwent an MRI on Friday. He added the scan came back “pretty clean,” so missed time through injury should not be expected in the regular season. It is still uncertain, however, if the Cowboys’ defense will be at full strength or if a September holdout could be in store in the event Parsons does not sign a new contract in the coming days.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Teams Inquiring On Micah Parsons; Cowboys Remain Against Trading DE

August 22nd, 2025 at 10:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Jerry Jones‘ latest comments on the Micah Parsons situation, the All-Pro pass rusher took the increasingly common step of scrubbing his X profile of Cowboys material. The Cowboys have been known to prolong negotiations, regardless of price hikes, and they are well down this road once again with another standout.

Multiple teams have inquired about Parsons’ availability, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said during a SportsCenter appearance. Nothing is moving on that front, as Dallas continues to hold tight during its latest contract saga.

That aligns with what we heard last week, with GMs indicating they have not gotten the sense Parsons is available following his trade request. Noting it would take a Herschel Walker-like offer for the Cowboys to move Parsons, Fowler points to team optimism a deal can still be finalized before the season. It should also be noted Parsons’ camp is less optimistic.

Jones attempting to go around high-powered agent David Mulugheta in negotiations has understandably irked Parsons, who employs an agent to negotiate his contract. The longtime Cowboys owner referencing a $200MM guarantee also reflects what is likely a five- or six-year Dallas extension offer. With the cap soaring annually, players are increasingly opting against long-term deals. The Cowboys prefer them, but it is notable Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb convinced the team to budge here by each scoring four-year extensions. It would surprise if Parsons signed for beyond four years, but Jones continues to reference his negotiations with the player — talks Parsons classified as informal — this offseason.

A Cowboys source mentioned the 49ers’ Nick Bosa situation re: Parsons. San Francisco did not have Bosa signed until four days before the 2023 regular season. Bosa played in Week 1 despite holding out until his extension was done. Parsons has spoken out about how not practicing during a negotiation can negatively impact a season, and he long preferred to have his deal done by training camp. The Cowboys are well past that artificial deadline, as these talks now remind of the Prescott and Lamb pace. Neither of those performers requested a trade, which is a notable difference between this Parsons back-and-forth and previous Cowboys extension struggles.

While Fowler adds Mulugheta certainly didn’t tell Jones to stick the team’s offer “up their (expletive),” the Cowboys going to these lengths to avoid dealing with one of the game’s top agents has been an interesting chapter. As our Nikhil Mehta mentioned Thursday, Jones taking this route is not out of character. But Parsons taking issue with it to the degree he has would seem to require the team to change course and huddle up with Mulugheta — if the intent is to finalize a deal before Week 1. The Cowboys’ Thursday-night assignment in Philadelphia to open the season also gives them less time than they had with Prescott last year.

Mentioning the Packers, Cardinals and Ravens as potential trade fits, Fowler outlines what would certainly be a robust market if the Cowboys did decide to explore what they top player would fetch in a trade. Of course, dealing Parsons would significantly weaken the 2025 Cowboys.

Jones mentioned during his Michael Irvin podcast conversation the prospect of franchise-tagging Parsons next year. That would be an option, but the Cowboys are not giving up on a 2025 deal yet.

Jerry Jones Accuses Micah Parsons’ Agent Of Obstructing Negotiations

August 21st, 2025 at 11:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reaffirmed a hard stance in the team’s extension negotiations with Micah Parsons on Thursday, insisting that the two sides had already agreed to a deal and blaming the lack of progress on Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta.

“When we wanted to send the details to the agent, the agent told us to stick it up our [expletive],” said Jones in an interview with Michael Irvin. Mulugheta has since denied that claim, per Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS.

“We had our agreement on term, amount, guarantees, everything,” continued Jones, referencing a conversation he had with Parsons earlier this offseason. “We’ve got this deal resolved, in my mind, for the Dallas Cowboys.” Jones also said that his agreement with Parsons “would have made him the highest guaranteed player other than a quarterback in the NFL.”

“The world would know that I want Micah if they knew what I offered him,” added Jones. That offer, according to Hill, was worth more than $40MM per year with almost $200MM in guaranteed money.

However, Parsons has since demanded that the Cowboys reach out to Mulugheta to finalize the contract. Jones, believing he already had a deal, hasn’t been willing to do that, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Parsons said upon requesting a trade he viewed his conversation with Jones as informal and that Mulugheta needed to be brought into the loop to conduct true negotiations.

A $200MM guarantee of any sort would also suggest the Cowboys offered an extension beyond four years or potentially beyond five; we heard earlier this offseason term length could pose an issue in this negotiation. No EDGE is tied to a guarantee beyond $124MM, and the top DEs and rush OLBs are on three- or four-year deals. While the Cowboys traditionally prefer longer-term structures, players — for the most part — are not signing committing to teams beyond four years anymore.

Jones has a well-documented history of trying to negotiate directly with players rather than through their agents and referenced such agreements with Irvin in their interview. He also revealed that he once shut down negotiations with a prospective coach because he wanted to involve an “advisor.”

“There’s nothing wrong with me…talking directly to a player,” Jones said. But there might be.

In 2023, the NFL sent a memo to every team regarding a non-NFLPA certified agent trying to negotiate on the behalf of Lamar Jackson, per Around The NFL’s Nick Shook. That memo included a reminder that, under Article 48 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, “an Offer Sheet, which may result in an NFL Player Contract, may only be negotiated with the player, if he is acting on his own behalf, or with the player’s NFLPA certified agent.” The memo also warned that “Violation of this rule may result in disapproval of any Offer Sheet or resulting Player Contract entered into by Mr. Jackson and the new Club.”

Jones has publicly admitted that he was trying to negotiate a contract with detailed terms with Parsons directly and has since refused to involve Parsons’ NFLPA-certified agent. That would seem to run afoul of Article 48 as outlined by the league’s 2023 memo and potentially nullify a contract resulting from direct negotiations.

At the end of the interview, Jones leaned on Irvin to reach out Parsons personally to set up a meeting with Jones and “bridge this gap.”

“His agent should be involved in terms of papering it and all that kind of stuff,” said Jones, but he maintained his position that agents shouldn’t be involved in negotiations beyond formalities and paperwork.

Jones also referenced the potential to place the franchise tag on Parsons in 2026 and 2027 on multiple occasions.

“We can have him three years without having this agreement,” said Jones, comparing the situation to the Cowboys’ use of the franchise tag on Dak Prescott in 2020 and 2021.

“It’s exactly what happened with Dak,” explained Jones. “The precedent is handling it like Dak.” However, as noted by Hill, Prescott did not entertain direct talks with the Cowboys and forced them to negotiate with his agent. That eventually resulted in a four-year, $160MM agreement reached shortly after the tag was applied in 2021. By waiting as long as they did to extend Prescott, the Cowboys gave him what became overwhelming leverage. That chain of events led to the extraordinarily player-friendly extension agreed to in September 2024.

Parsons is set to make $24MM on his fifth-year option this season. He was designated as a defensive end for his fifth-year option, which would likely continue for the franchise tag, resulting in a projected cost of $26.54MM in 2026 and $31.84MM in 2027, per OverTheCap. Obviously, $58.38MM over two years is significantly less than what Parsons stands to earn from an extension with the Cowboys.

Jones also seemed to issue a warning to his star player against holding out into the regular season: “In this particular case, then Micah comes in and plays this year under his contract. If he doesn’t, it’s very costly. Very costly for everybody.”

For now, the lack of communication between Parson and the Cowboys is a fundamental obstacle to any progress in negotiations, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Parsons issues his trade request nearly three weeks ago. A lack of communication by this point — for a franchise that prolonged Prescott and CeeDee Lamb negotiations last year — does not reflect well on the Cowboys’ negotiating strategies.

“You can’t get a deal done if you’re not even talking,” said Schefter on his podcast. “The two sides haven’t had any negotiations since late March or early April. And it sounds like at this point it’s personal. It sounds like each side is dug in.”

“Both sides seem to be angry,” added Schefter, who noted that other teams have resolved similar situations but said that may not be the result in this case.

“I see these two sides headed towards a divorce in time,” continued Schefter. “It certainly doesn’t feel like these two sides want to enter a long-term relationship together.” Jones, meanwhile, clearly believes that he has a longer runway to keep Parsons in Dallas.

“We’ve really got three years to work this thing out,” Jones told Irvin.

Indeed, according to The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson, the relationship between the two sides “has not deteriorated to the point of an imminent divorce from the team’s perspective” and “the club remains unrattled at this time.” But Jones’ comments Thursday have not helped matters. Parsons took the step of removing Cowboys material from his X page. That is fairly standard practice during contentious negotiations, but it does not appear the sides are anywhere close to a resolution at this point. That would put Parsons to a decision, as a holdout would be the next step here.

GMs Do Not Believe Cowboys Have Made Micah Parsons Available

August 15th, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

When Micah Parsons rolled out his trade request two weeks ago, it quickly became known the Cowboys had no intention of granting it. Considering Parsons’ status as Dallas’ top player and one of the league’s best overall talents, no deal ever seemed realistic.

We have seen similar standoffs lead to blockbuster trades in the recent past. Khalil Mack‘s Raiders negotiations devolved into a blockbuster trade with the Bears. Jamal Adams‘ 2020 Jets talks ended up leading him to Seattle. Both trades required packages headlined by two first-round picks.

Both those instances involved a team trading a player a previous regime drafted, as Reggie McKenzie and Mike Maccagnan respectively drafted those defenders in the top 10 — before Jon Gruden– and Joe Douglas-orchestrated trades occurred. The Cowboys’ Jerry Jones–Stephen Jones–Will McClay operation, of course, drafted Parsons in 2021. Although the sides are not believed to be actively negotiating an extension right now, Parsons continues to show up for practice as an observer. The Cowboys will almost definitely not take the opportunity to cash out on one of the NFL’s top assets now.

GMs have not gotten the sense Parsons is available, according to Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson, who adds one anonymous front office boss informed him of a sense Parsons being available would have come with a trade price no team could realistically meet. Considering Parsons’ status as a three-time All-Pro and having posted four straight double-digit sack seasons to open his career — only Parsons and Reggie White have done that — the Cowboys would have been poised to ask for a historic trade package for an early-prime player.

The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year who was traded ahead of his fifth-year option season, Mack is the closest comp here. Mack’s Oakland tenure was not quite as consistent as Parsons’ first four Dallas seasons, despite ascending to a DPOY perch Parsons has yet to, and the superstar was going into an age-27 season at the time he was dealt to Chicago. Mack fetched two firsts, a third and a sixth (in a deal that sent the Raiders a second and a conditional fifth).

Were Parsons to be traded, he would be highly unlikely — given how cap growth has changed in the years since — to accept a six-year extension like Mack did. The defensive end’s preference for a shorter-term deal has brought a potential sticking point, as the Cowboys regularly prefer longer-term pacts. But the prospect of a team needing to give Parsons a deal perhaps near $45MM per year would naturally affect a trade price.

Trade rumors and speculation came up well before Parsons’ request surfaced, but it was never viewed as a likely outcome — even after the Cowboys gave Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb top-market deals. Parsons has not shifted to a holdout, which is interesting given that this process has differed from past Cowboys extension sagas due to a trade request emerging. The Cowboys could also waive Parsons’ daily fines in a holdout since he is attached to a rookie contract.

If this impasse persists, Parsons would effectively need to play the holdout card if it came down to remaining unhappy with the situation by Week 1. The Cowboys are banking on the impact pass rusher not being ready to miss out on $1.5MM game checks. The team did not complete its Lamb deal until August 26, 2024 and famously did not have Prescott’s done until hours before Week 1. Time remains during the latest overly long Dallas negotiation.

Jerry Jones, Micah Parsons Have Not Spoken Since DE’s Trade Request

August 6th, 2025 at 10:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jerry Jones has made an odd point of communicating directly with Micah Parsons during the superstar pass rusher’s contract negotiations, rather than taking the standard step of going through an agent. The Cowboys’ approach this offseason has irked Parsons to the point he became the rare Dallas player to request a trade.

Parsons outlined a number of issues with Jones’ tactics as he made the request, but he remains at Cowboys camp as a de facto hold-in. Despite Parsons’ presence, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes he and Jones have not spoken since the trade request. Jones and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, have also not spoken since the trade ask emerged last week.

Although Jones described his stance as “urgent” regarding this Parsons matter, his actions do not align with that. The 37th-year owner said this past weekend Cowboys fans should not lose sleep over this standoff. The Cowboys do not intend to trade Parsons, but they appear no closer to extending him.

As it stands, the longtime owner/GM is not guaranteeing Parsons suits up for the Cowboys in Week 1. That still seems the most likely outcome, but this situation has veered off course compared to where the Cowboys were with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last year. Even the 2019 Ezekiel Elliott holdout, resolved days before that season, did not lead to a trade request.

“No, absolutely not,” Jones said of guaranteeing Parsons will debut with the Cowboys in Philadelphia. “A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?”

Jones and Parsons conducted extension talks this offseason. The parties disagreed over whether those were considered formal discussions, with Parsons preferring the Cowboys go through his agent. Unless a player is representing himself, agents negotiate contracts. Thus far, however, the Cowboys have only communicated with Mulugheta through exec Adam Prasifka. Days before Parsons’ trade request, negotiations were said to be going backward. Mulugheta reaching out to COO Stephen Jones did not lead to negotiations, according to Parsons, who added in his request the Cowboys have not contacted his camp for negotiations since Mulugheta’s overture went nowhere with ownership.

The Cowboys’ negotiating trends have baffled many, as Parsons’ price has undoubtedly risen since 2024 and throughout this offseason — as dominoes fell on the EDGE market. Parsons said the Cowboys told him last year they wanted to do a deal in 2025. Timeline-wise, this situation resembles Lamb’s due to the All-Pro wide receiver being unsigned to open training camp ahead of a fifth-year option season. Lamb’s deal did not come to pass until August 26, 2024. Lamb also held out and was not keen on a 2023 extension. That separates the WR’s saga from Parsons’, as the All-Pro defensive end said he was ready to talk terms before his fourth season.

With the Cowboys understandably prioritizing Lamb and Prescott — who both were entering contract years — over a player signed through the 2025 season, they have seen Parsons’ price rise. Parsons expressed confusion at the Cowboys’ hesitancy at multiple points this offseason. Jones did say, via Archer, he offered Parsons “a hell of a lot more than you think I did.” The owner also referenced a guarantee of “almost $200MM.”

That total would not stand to reflect a full guarantee, and a $200MM guarantee of any sort would point to the Cowboys reverting to their preference of a longer-term deal. Term length was reported to be a sticking point in these talks, as players are preferring shorter-term contracts amid annual cap spikes. No current defensive player is guaranteed more than $123MM (Myles Garrett). T.J. Watt‘s $108MM fully guaranteed — on a three-year deal — leads the pack in that more important category.

Opening their season on a Thursday night in Philly, the Cowboys have a bit less time than they did when they went down to the wire with Prescott last year. Tied to a $24MM fifth-year option salary, Parsons would lose weekly game checks worth approximately $1.41MM if he sat out. Excepting the 1993 Emmitt Smith situation (when the Hall of Fame running back missed two games amid a contract dispute), the Jones-era Cowboys have a track record for finishing these negotiations. How they go about getting there continues to generate confusion.

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