Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones stated that he reached a verbal agreement directly with linebacker Micah Parsons on the terms of a new contract, including length, total value, and guarantees. According to Jones, the deal was halted by Parsons’ agent.
Appearing on Cowboys legend Michael Irvin’s YouTube show, Jones said, “We had our agreements on term, amount, guarantees and everything. We were gonna send it over to the agent,” before adding that the agent said, “stick it up our a–.” Jones further commented that the proposed contract would have made Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in National Football League history regarding guaranteed money. He believes the offer reflected his appreciation for Parsons.
“The world would know that I want Micah if they knew what I had offered him, and he knows what I offered him. (…) The world would know that I want Micah to play on the team and that I respect him for what he can bring to the team,” Jones said.
Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, has denied Jones’ account of events. He told ESPN’s Ryan Clark that he never used such language and described Jones’s story as “false.”
Parsons maintains that there was no negotiation between himself and Jones and stated he always wanted his agent involved in any discussions regarding contracts. While this was communicated to Jones, who pointed out his own history of negotiating deals without agents present.
“I’ve done most of my negotiating without an agent in the rooms,” Jones said. He also explained his position on agents not usually being part of other football-related matters involving players or teams.
Parsons has been absent from practice drills due to a back injury but continues to attend training sessions on the sidelines since reporting with the team in California last month.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed confidence Wednesday that Parsons will participate in the Sept. 4 season opener against Philadelphia whether or not a new contract extension is finalized. “I feel good that Micah’s going to be out there against the Philadelphia Eagles,” Schottenheimer said.
Parsons is entering the final year of his rookie contract with earnings set at $24 million and is reportedly seeking an extension valued at more than $40 million per year. Following release of Jones’s interview with Irvin, Parsons removed all references to the Cowboys from his social media profiles.
The team has also been featured recently in a Netflix docuseries titled “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys.” The Dallas Cowboys are scheduled for their final preseason game against Atlanta at AT&T Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m.
