The Dallas Cowboys have had ample time to secure an extension for their star edge rusher, Micah Parsons. Yet, despite the looming deadlines, negotiations remain inchoate.
Executive Vice President Stephen Jones remained tight-lipped on Tuesday regarding the status of these contract talks. His mantra was consistent, deflecting each inquiry with a simple, "No different than anything else. I’ll let you know when it happens," Jones said, as reported by Jon Machota of The Athletic.
Parsons, during this time, has been a sporadic presence at the Cowboys' voluntary offseason workouts, opting out of the organized team activities. "That’s part of the business. All teams go through it," Jones remarked, acknowledging the nature of contract negotiations.
Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer remains hopeful that Parsons will attend next week's mandatory minicamp, though Stephen Jones expressed uncertainty about his attendance to avoid fines. Schottenheimer, however, is confident in Parsons' commitment. "The thing that I know about Micah is Micah wants to be here. He’s excited about what we’re building," Schottenheimer stated. "You can lead a lot of different ways. This is a business. And they’re working through the business part of this deal."
Drawing parallels to CeeDee Lamb's situation last year, it's anticipated that Parsons might hold out until his contract terms are finalized. Lamb's extension was finalized merely 12 days before the 2024 season opener.
Now in the final year of his deal, Parsons became eligible for an extension post-2023 and is slated to earn $24 million through the fifth-year option. His aspirations for a new contract aim to surpass Ja’Marr Chase’s average annual earnings of $40.25 million, potentially positioning Parsons as the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
