Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he offered All-Pro defensive end Micah Parsons a deal that “would’ve made him the highest-paid guaranteed player other than a quarterback in the NFL.” Jones shared this information during an appearance on Hall of Famer Michael Irvin’s YouTube show on Aug. 21.
“Nobody appreciates Micah Parsons more than the Cowboys or me,” Jones said. “Nobody has ever offered him more money than I have to play football. Period.” According to reports, the contract offer would have been similar to the $41 million extension recently signed by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt, which was the highest-paid non-quarterback deal in NFL history. Jones stated he made his offer in April but blamed Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, for not finalizing the agreement before the team‘s season opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
“When we wanted to send the details to the agent, the agent told us to stick it up our a**,” Jones said. “Just so you’re clear.” He also confirmed there have been no negotiations since then.
On Aug. 19, ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reported that Parsons and the Cowboys were “headed towards divorce” on his podcast. “You can’t get a deal done if you’re not even talking, and the two sides haven’t had any negotiations since late March or early April, and it sounds like at this point it’s personal,” Schefter said.
Parsons publicly requested a trade via social media on Aug. 1. “Yes I wanted to be here,” Parsons wrote. “I did everything I could to show that I wanted to be a Cowboys and wear the star on my helmet. I wanted to play in front of the best fans in sports and make this Americas team once again. The team my pops and I grew up cheering for way up in Harrisburg, PA. Unfortunately I no longer want to be here. I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me. I had purposely stayed quiet in hopes of getting something done.”
Reporting from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini added detail about tensions between Parsons and Dallas management: “BREAKING: The Micah Parsons-Cowboys relationship has deteriorated to the point where the star pass rusher is considering drastic measures which could include a trade request or even a declaration that he is severing his relationship with the team, per multiple league sources familiar with the situation. The two sides remain far apart heading into the second week of training camp, and are not currently negotiating,” Russini wrote on her X account.
Teammates showed support for Parsons amid news of his rift with Dallas leadership by changing their X profile pictures to include Parsons’ image. During training camp last weekend, some fans chanted “Pay Micah” when Jones addressed them about ongoing contract talks—a scene reminiscent of chants supporting wide receiver CeeDee Lamb during his own dispute last offseason.
“I heard it light, but not compared to how I heard them say, ‘Pay Lamb [last year],'” Jones said on July 26. “That was a faint little sound compared to the way they were hollering last year, ‘Pay Lamb.’ … Whoever’s not in, you can count on a few hollering that. But it was a big loud chant last year on Lamb.”
The Cowboys recently exercised their fifth-year option on Parsons’ rookie contract; it expires after this season. Since joining Dallas from Penn State, Parsons has won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 and earned All-Pro and Pro Bowler selections each season.
