Cowboys' Stephen Jones: 'Can't imagine' Parsons elsewhere

Dallas Cowboys executive Stephen Jones doesn't see a future without Micah Parsons, who is expected to seek a long-term contract extension this offseason.

"We love Micah," Jones told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport after the league meetings earlier this week. "I can't imagine there's a scenario where he's not wearing a star on his helmet."

Despite his desire to keep Parsons around, Jones said the Cowboys will study the effects of having a large percentage of their salary cap and money tied to their top players.

"I think that's a balancing act that you always got to look at," Jones explained. "Especially when your good, good players get hurt and are not on the field. It totally magnifies the issue if you lose guys like Dak (Prescott), and (Trevon) Diggs misses games, Zack Martin misses games and it's going to magnify something like that. You're going to say, 'God, are we smart having this much money tied in to the top five to 10 players?'"

The Cowboys made Prescott the highest-paid quarterback this offseason with a four-year, $240-million deal. Wideout CeeDee Lamb is also the second highest-paid player at his position based on average annual value after he inked an extension this offseason. Prescott was ruled out for the season after Week 9 because of a hamstring injury while Lamb is reportedly expected to undergo season-ending knee surgery.

Parsons, who has recorded 47 sacks across four seasons, will see his rookie contract expire after the 2025 campaign.

"Obviously we're totally all in on Dak and CeeDee," Jones added. "But after that, then you still shape things, including Micah. But Micah's a great player. You don't do well in this league letting guys like Micah, usually, leave the house."

Dallas is in the midst of a 5-8 campaign, putting the franchise on track for its worst showing since a 6-10 season in 2020.