Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has stated that extension negotiations with linebacker Micah Parsons have stalled, attributing the impasse to actions taken by Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta. In a recent interview with Michael Irvin, Jones described direct discussions he had with Parsons during the offseason and insisted that an agreement had been reached on all major contract terms.
“When we wanted to send the details to the agent, the agent told us to stick it up our [expletive], (…) We had our agreement on term, amount, guarantees, everything. (…) We’ve got this deal resolved, in my mind, for the Dallas Cowboys. (…) The world would know that I want Micah if they knew what I offered him,” said Jones in his interview with Irvin.
According to reports cited by Clarence Hill Jr., the offer extended to Parsons included more than $40 million per year and almost $200 million in guaranteed money. Jones claimed this would have made Parsons “the highest guaranteed player other than a quarterback in the NFL.” Despite this assertion, Mulugheta has denied Jones’s version of events.
Parsons has responded by requesting that his agent be brought into negotiations before any deal is finalized. Citing conversations reported by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Jones has resisted further contact with Mulugheta, believing a valid agreement already exists based on previous talks with Parsons himself.
The National Football League issued a memo in 2023 reminding teams of Article 48 of its 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.” Violation of this rule can result in disapproval of any resultant contract.
Jones acknowledged during his interview that he prefers negotiating directly with players rather than through agents. “There’s nothing wrong with me…talking directly to a player,” said Jones before adding later: “His agent should be involved in terms of papering it and all that kind of stuff,” but maintaining his view that agents should not participate beyond paperwork and formalities.
Citing options available under league rules, Jones also mentioned using the franchise tag on Parsons for both 2026 and 2027 seasons. “We can have him three years without having this agreement (…) It’s exactly what happened with Dak (…) The precedent is handling it like Dak,” explained Jones. He referred to similar past situations involving former Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb where negotiations stretched over long periods or required franchise tags as leverage.
For now, communications between Parsons’ camp and team management appear limited. ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted: “You can’t get a deal done if you’re not even talking (…) 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.”
Schefter added: “Both sides seem to be angry (…) I see these two sides headed towards a divorce in time (…) It certainly doesn’t feel like these two sides want to enter a long-term relationship together.”
Despite these tensions and public statements from both parties indicating frustration and lack of progress toward an extension agreement for Parsons — who is set to make $24 million under his fifth-year option for this season — some sources believe there remains time for resolution before any permanent split occurs.
“We’ve really got three years to work this thing out,” Jones told Irvin regarding timelines under current contract structures.
