It took up until a few hours before the Cowboys began the 2024 season, but they finally hammered out an agreement with quarterback Dak Prescott on a massive four-year, $240 million contract.
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones joined the K&C Masterpiece Monday to discuss getting the contract extension done with Dak Prescott before the conversation shifted to pass rusher Micah Parsons, who will be a free agent after the 2025 season.
Jones was asked if the team will now turn the page to Parsons after getting deals done with CeeDee Lamb and Prescott, but it sounds like Parsons and his representation are comfortable standing pat and letting the market continue to grow.
"Right now, it’s certainly not anything that’s on the table," Jones said. "Micah made a conscientious decision that he thinks he can put together an even better year. I think he got off to a great start yesterday in terms of what he did against the Browns. I think his play speaks louder than words.
“I think he expects to have a great year under (Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer). And then probably feel comfortable to talk about it then. Each individual is different. Opportunities come and when they are and the player feels good about something then we’ll certainly will move to do something. At the same time, sometimes players just aren’t ready yet. They don’t feel like their situation is in the right situation to start the process.”
While speaking at the State of the Cowboys press conference , Jones said that Parsons is commanding the largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history, so it only makes sense for him to wait out the market.
Later that week, the linebacker spoke about his contract situation at the start of Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California, and said he couldn't see himself leaving the organization.
"When you talk about career and legacy, I don't think there's a better career you can have than when you're playing for the star and you have a chance to be the best with the star and you retire a Cowboy," Parsons said . "You look at [Jason] Witten, you look at Michael Irvin, you look at Emmitt [Smith], you see they're still in the community, still active. The star holds so much weight and the legacy that brings. "Look at Charles [Haley], he still bothers me in the locker room every week. There's nothing like wearing the star when you do it the right way. So in terms of being here, I want to be here my whole life. I plan on building a house here and being in Dallas forever. I love the city. I love the community. I love for what it stands for."
As it stands, Lamb and 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa are tied for the second highest-paid non-quarterback behind Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson ($35 million) at $34 million per year, and Parsons is likely to top that figure.
"To be honest with you, I always told you guys, the contract stuff will always take care of itself," Parsons said. "Winning games is what I need to take care of. I focus on winning games and making plays and getting sacks. Jerry [Jones] could meet up with [my] agent later and they handle all that other stuff. I don't know how that goes. I'm on my first deal, and I know I got two years left here, so I'm going to try to maximize those as much as possible."
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