Dallas Cowboys Insider Reports: NFL Sources Believe Team May Not Give Micah Parsons Contract Extension

One of the Dallas Cowboys’ most significant seasons in recent memory is about to begin.

There’s reason to think Jerry Jones and company will retain Mike McCarthy as head coach and the core of the squad if they win and make a genuine run at the Super Bowl.
However, what if they fail?

After 2024, Dak Prescott may very well sign with another team, McCarthy will very likely be fired, and the Cowboys, who have won 12 games in a row, will need to start over.

The main concerns up until the beginning of this month were how the Dallas Cowboys would be able to sign individuals to complement their core three core players while still having cap space. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons are those three.

The Dallas Cowboys have now revealed that they intend to let Prescott finish the 2024 season without giving him an extension; although the team’s executives claim they would do it after the season, this is obviously a test to see if he can ultimately pull them over the finish line. If not, they could simply go in a different route.

Lamb has established himself as one of the NFL’s best receivers, so it’s probable that he will sign a longer contract shortly.

And there’s Parsons after that.

According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Cowboys are picking up Micah Parsons’ rookie contract’s fifth-year option and identifying him as a defensive end rather than a linebacker. This move will allegedly cost the team slightly under $3 million.

In 2025, the last year of his rookie contract, Parsons would make slightly more than $24 million as a linebacker, according to that report. His 2025 pay as a defensive end will be $21.32 million.

Before his fifth-year option becomes exercisable for the 2025 campaign, Micah Parsons will be under contract for the 2024 season, with a basic salary of $2.9 million and a signing bonus of $2.4 million.

Considering that he’s become one of the most well-known game-changing players in the NFL, it’s difficult to think the Dallas Cowboys won’t want to extend his deal before the fifth year option expires. Parsons is probably going to look for a contract that will make him the best paid defender in the history of the team.

Nick Bosa has that record. He signed a five-year, $170 million contract before the 2023 campaign, which is the highest of any defensive player’s total earnings, average yearly value ($50 million), and money guaranteed ($88 million) at signing.

Dallas Cowboys Insider Reports Shocking Development On Potential Micah Parsons Extension, Cites Sources Who Believe It Won’t Happen

Given Parsons’ stated desire to be a “Cowboy for life” and the team’s recent decision to exercise his fifth-year option, it’s reasonable to assume they will work out a record-breaking contract with the great pass rusher before having to pay that money in 2025.

However, Jori Epstein of Dallas Cowboys Insider isn’t sure if they’ll grant Micah Parsons the anticipated deal.

“Micah is an interesting one. I was just trying to comprehend this while I was speaking with a defensive coach from another squad. On the one hand, we may see his impressive stats and abilities, yet consider one of their greatest games—the postseason matchup with San Francisco. As in Micah’s actions during those games?

And when the Cowboys are winning, a coach told me that Micah is a player who should go into the Hall of Fame. He’s mediocre when the Cowboys need him most.

Epstein went on to contrast Micah Parsons’ play-calling with that of Chris Jones, pointing out that Jones is still a valuable player who wins Super Bowls for the Chiefs.

“And this coach told me, quite wisely, that Micah isn’t 100 percent on all of his plays, but he kind of makes them when they matter the least, and Chris Jones takes off some plays but makes them when they matter most.”

The Dallas Cowboys front office was informed of the scenario by Epstein, and they mentioned other players on the squad, indicating a more serious cultural issue.

In any case, this is the first criticism that has surfaced regarding the Cowboys’ possible decision not to sign Micah Parsons to a long-term contract. We’ll have to wait and see.