As contract talks continue between the Dallas Cowboys and linebacker Micah Parsons, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones has shared specific details regarding the holdups in their negotiations. Speaking recently on Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Michael Irvin’s YouTube channel, Jones described how an initial agreement with Parsons stalled when agent David Mulugheta became involved.
“Micah and I talked, and then we were going to send it over to the agent. We had our agreements on term, amounts, guarantees, everything,” Jones said. “We were going to send it over to the agent, and the agent said ‘Don’t bother, because we’ve got all that to negotiate.’ (…) Well, I had already negotiated. I had already moved off my mark on several areas. And so the issue very frankly is we’ve had the negotiation in my mind, and the agent’s trying to get his nose in it right now and try to come in there and improve off the market we had already set.” According to Jones, Mulugheta responded strongly when he sent over those terms: “When we wanted to send the details to the agent, the agent told us to stick it up our *.”
Jones stated that he was prepared to make Parsons “the highest paid non-QB in NFL history in terms of guaranteed money” with this deal. He maintained that he does not believe Mulugheta plays a significant role in completing this kind of contract and referred back to team options available under current rules. “I have agreed to give more money than has ever been given in terms of guaranteed money than anyone ever has as far as a defensive player. I’ve done that (…) Now, I am the cat that writes the check. Micah’s got three years with the Cowboys left… at some point, somebody has to have the say over the other. At some point it has to be that way,” Jones said.
He added: “My job is managing the check. Micah’s got to do the playing. Where’s the least important part of this whole equation we’re talking about? What is the least incremental part of the whole equation? The attorney or the agent. He works for Micah. He’s not the principle here, in any way.”
Parsons has stated that he always wanted his agent involved and did not consider previous discussions with Jones as true negotiations since Mulugheta was not present.
Jones continued: “Part of the issue is that at where my offer was, and of course we do have those issues of him saying ‘Well, my agent wasn’t sitting there, and so we don’t think it was an offer and we don’t think it’s a valid one.’ (…) [Irvin] and I would tell them we could do some pretty good business without an agent sitting there. As you well know, I’ve done most of my negotiating without an agent in the room.”
Addressing his commitment level toward Parsons, Jones said: “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.”
Referencing past negotiations with quarterback Dak Prescott—who played under two franchise tags before signing a long-term extension—Jones indicated a similar approach could unfold with Parsons: “It’s exactly what happened with Dak (…) And we moved forward and of course ultimately, we got a contract, made Dak the highest paid player in the NFL. So the precedent is handling it like Dak but 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.”
Jones acknowledged Parsons’ importance on defense: “We need him to win (…) And we should have to win; we can have him three years like it is right now; we can have him three years without having a disagreement. He should though—in my mind—because he’d be the highest guaranteed player ever on defense—is what he’s been offered.”
Jones concluded by stating his view that further movement must come from Parsons’ side: “We’ve got this resolved in my mind for Dallas Cowboys (…) We’ve got it done. If the agent wants to finish up the details—which he should—and do all paperwork—and he can do that—and we’re ready to go.”
Parsons has previously told reporters he does not take these ongoing talks personally.
