Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons has a significant (and loud) ally on his side during his ongoing contract extension dispute with the team: Cowboys fans.
Fans attending the Cowboys’ ‘Opening Day Ceremony’ at training camp let team owner Jerry Jones know exactly where they stood on the Parsons issue on Saturday, July 26. As Jones, flanked by cheerleaders, took the stage to give a speech to the energetic crowd in Oxnard, California, multiple fans shouted, ‘Pay Micah!’
The demand was clearly audible in a video that Jon Machota of The Athletic posted to social media site X.
Parsons is still awaiting a contract extension from the Cowboys as he enters the 2025 season on an expiring rookie contract. Saturday’s heckling made it clear that the fans are more interested in Jones getting a deal done than in hearing his promises about an improved roster.
Micah Parsons’ contract dispute, explained
Parsons is set to enter the fifth-year option season, the last year of his rookie contract, in 2025. The four-time Pro Bowler is one of multiple star players across the NFL who have voiced discontent about his current contract ahead of the 2025 season.
‘I will never understand it,’ Parsons said in an interview with WWE wrestler Mark Calaway, better known as The Undertaker. ‘We wanted to do the contract last year – then you go out there and perform again. You would think, ‘All right, we’ll get it done early, we know some guys are about to get re-paid.’ There’s Myles [Garrett], Maxx [Crosby] is going, so you would think, ‘Hey, let’s get ahead of that.’
‘You can’t want us to take less (now) because you’re the one that decided to wait.’
Garrett, Crosby and now Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt are all fellow edge rushers who have signed massive contract extensions this offseason – Garrett and Watt’s deals have each surpassed $40 million in average annual value. As Parsons pointed out, the longer the Cowboys wait, the higher his price will rise as other players’ deals push new boundaries for the edge rusher market.
Parsons has reported to the Cowboys’ mandatory offseason activities – June minicamp and the start of training camp this month – while still making clear his desire for a new contract.
Jerry Jones’ comments on Micah Parsons negotiations
Jones himself shared his stance on the ongoing dispute during a media availability session at Cowboys training camp earlier in the week.
‘Just because we sign him doesn’t mean we’re going to have him,’ Jones said. ‘He was hurt six games last year, seriously. (Note: Parsons missed only four games last year with a high ankle sprain.) We’ve signed, I remember signing a player for the highest-paid at the position in the league and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year in (quarterback) Dak Prescott.
‘Contracts are four, five years, OK? There’s a lot of water under the bridge if you step out there and do something in the first two or three. You can get hit by a car. Seriously.’
Given the reaction to the Cowboys owner’s training camp appearance on Saturday, it seems the team’s fans are less than satisfied with the explanation.
