Report: Parsons weighing trade request as talks stall with Cowboys
The relationship between star pass-rusher Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys has deteriorated amid their ongoing contract dispute, a source told The Athletic's Dianna Russini.
Parsons is weighing his options, which include requesting a trade or even severing his relationship with the team, Russini reports.
The 26-year-old spoke directly to owner and general manager Jerry Jones in the spring, and Dallas believed it had a deal in place, sources told Russini. Parsons, however, reportedly considered those talks to be conversations and not negotiations, and when Parsons' agent tried to start formal talks over a new contract, Dallas refused, believing a deal was already complete.
The Cowboys now reportedly won't engage with Parsons' representation at all. Dallas and Parsons apparently remain far apart on a potential contract extension.
Jones publicly criticized Parsons for his injury history in July, erroneously saying he'd missed six games last season when he missed four.
Parsons is currently at Cowboys training camp but not participating in any on-field activities. He also attended mandatory minicamp. Other star edge rushers who were seeking new deals at the time, such as Trey Hendrickson and T.J. Watt, held out of their team's sessions.
"I want to be here. At the end of the day, they sign the checks. Let's see if they want me to be here," Parsons said July 22.
Parsons added: "If they don't want me here, I'll go about my business. I understand the nature of the business. As long as I'm here and under contract, I'm going to do what I have to do to perform at the highest level. But if this is the end, then this is the end."
The Penn State product was selected in the first round of the 2021 draft and is entering the final year of his contract after Dallas exercised his fifth-year option. He is set to earn just over $24 million in 2025, according to Spotrac.
The edge rusher market exploded this offseason with many high-level players receiving new deals. Myles Garrett, the Cleveland Browns star and the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, got a lucrative four-year, $160-million contract after requesting a trade. Watt became the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, inking a three-year, $123-million extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Parsons has earned two career first-team All-Pro nominations and four Pro Bowl nods. He has 112 quarterback hits and 52.5 sacks in 63 NFL games.