The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most valuable franchises in professional sports, but the team’s recent history under Jerry Jones has pointed to a club that cuts costs when possible. With the Cowboys coaching staff already one of the lowest-paid in the NFL, it now appears the cost-cutting could impact Micah Parsons.
Dallas received plenty of criticism this offseason after it parted ways with Mike McCarthy, one of the lowest-paid NFL head coaches in 2024, and then promoted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to replace him. The decision reaffirmed a growing belief that Jones isn’t willing to spend as much now.
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- Micah Parsons contract (Spotrac): $24.007 million cap hit in 2025, NFL free agent in 2026
However, the Cowboys owner has shown loyalty to his team’s best players with lucrative contract extensions that rivaled or exceeded the top NFL salaries. Parsons, a three-time All-Pro selection, would seemingly be the next in line for a record-setting contract. What was once viewed as a foregone conclusion, is now uncertain.
According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, sources around the league have raised questions regarding Parsons’ future with the Cowboys and Maxx Crosby’s future with the Las Vegas Raiders.
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More specifically to Dallas, the team has had “some internal discussions” about whether it should sign Parsons to a contract extension or trade him this offseason for a “king’s ransom” to help reload the roster.
- Micah Parsons stats (ESPN): 23 QB hits, 12 TDLs, 12 sacks, 2 forced fumbles in 13 games
The debate for Dallas would be tied to the contract extensions it already gave out to CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and Trevon Diggs. Heading into 2025, Prescott ($89.896 million), Lamb ($35.4 million) and Diggs ($13.897 million) account for nearly $140 million towards the NFL salary cap in 2025. In 2026, the trio would still carry a $121 million combined cap hit, which is even before potential contract restructures this offseason.
Parsons wants to become one of the highest-paid NFL players and current projections have the market for tope edge rushers nearing a $40 million average annual salary within a year. Extending Parsons would mean Dallas is tying up a large percentage of its cap space into just four players, which would result in a thinner Cowboys roster in terms of talent and depth.
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This is partially the result of how Jones has handled contract negotiations. Dallas is always the last team in the NFL to extend its superstars, creating leverage for the player that results in a more expensive contract. It’s why Prescott became the first $60 million AAV player in NFL history.
As a result, Dallas now finds itself in a situation where it has to evaluate whether it’s worth making Parsons the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history or trading him for multiple first-round picks. While the team’s history with star-caliber players suggests a contract extension will happen, the fact that the possibility of a trade has now been reported twice by insiders in the last year suggests a split is at least being considered.
