All eyes were on Micah Parsons at Cowboys minicamp Tuesday — and not because he was on the field wreaking havoc. Cameras caught something just as compelling: team owner Jerry Jones deep in conversation with the All-Pro linebacker, their private talk stretching nearly half an hour while teammates went through drills.
Parsons didn’t suit up due to reported back tightness, but his presence at camp — combined with that visible, lengthy exchange with Jones — lit a fire under ongoing speculation about his contract status.
Let’s be clear: Parsons is eligible for an extension. Has been since the end of last season. But the Cowboys, for now, have taken a different route. Jones locked down quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb first, leaving arguably the most dominant defender in football still waiting on a new deal. It’s a risky play.
On the surface, Tuesday’s exchange between Jones and Parsons might’ve looked casual — but make no mistake, it was anything but. According to multiple reporters at the scene, Jones did most of the talking. That’s not surprising, given the stakes. Parsons is the heartbeat of Dan Quinn’s defense (now Mike Zimmer’s), and letting a player of his caliber feel like an afterthought in the financial pecking order isn’t a sustainable strategy.
In the background of all this? The ever-climbing market.
Back in March, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett signed a monster four-year, $160 million extension, setting the new bar for defensive superstars. Garrett’s deal makes him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history — but at 28, he’s four years older than Parsons. That means the price tag for No. 11 is likely headed even higher.
And he’s got the resume to back it up: four straight Pro Bowls, 52.5 sacks in just 63 games, and a disruptive force that opposing coordinators build entire gameplans around. Whether off the edge, roaming the middle, or dropping in coverage, Parsons has done it all — and made it look easy.
The Cowboys know they have a generational talent on their hands. The question is whether they’re ready to pay him like one.
It’s no coincidence this all comes as Dallas prepares to open the 2025 season in a high-stakes, spotlight game against their fiercest rival. The NFL Kickoff Game is set for Sept. 4, when the Cowboys visit the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles — the very team that swept them last year. Prescott missed both contests, and Parsons wasn’t shy about the sting of those losses. Expect that one to come with some extra juice.
Dallas last played in the NFL Kickoff Game back in 2021, pushing Tom Brady’s Bucs to the wire before falling on a last-second field goal. That game introduced a new-look Cowboys squad to the world. This year’s opener? It could do the same — if Parsons is on the field and not in a holdout.
One thing’s clear: conversations are happening. Jerry’s leaning in. And with the market only getting pricier, the Cowboys are on the clock.
