Welcome to another episode of “Jerry Jones Makes Simple Things Unnecessarily Dramatic,” starring the Dallas Cowboys owner and his star pass rusher Micah Parsons. What should be a straightforward contract extension for one of the NFL’s best defensive players has instead turned into a soap opera that would make daytime television writers jealous.
Jones doesn’t view the situation as urgent nearing the 2025 season, unlike his star linebacker, which is basically Jerry’s way of saying “I have all the leverage and I’m going to use it.” Meanwhile, Parsons is probably wondering why extending a three-time All-Pro requires the complexity of international peace negotiations.
The “I Don’t See Urgency” Strategy
Jerry’s favorite phrase lately seems to be “I don’t view it as urgent at all”, followed by his brilliant justification: “I’d rather pay more and get it right”. This is the equivalent of telling your wife you’d rather pay full price for Christmas gifts in December because shopping in July just isn’t urgent enough.
Parsons is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to make $24 million on the fifth-year option, while others at his position are landing $40 million per year. The math here isn’t exactly rocket science, Jerry.
The Handshake Deal That Isn’t
Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of this whole saga is the mystery surrounding a potential handshake agreement. Micah Parsons and Jerry Jones may or may not have a handshake deal. But the Cowboys edge rusher has not signed a contract extension, and by the sound of it, nothing is imminent.
It’s like having a handshake deal with your neighbor about borrowing his lawnmower, except the lawnmower is worth $120 million and can sack quarterbacks.
Parsons Fights Back
The star linebacker hasn’t exactly been subtle about his frustration. Parsons called out team owner Jerry Jones for impeding progress on a contract extension: “We obviously wanted to get done early. We want that relief. … But, obviously, ownership is always gonna make it drag out, make it more complicated than it has to be”.
Parsons already has 52.5 sacks in 63 games. He had 12 sacks in just 13 games last season, so it’s not like the Cowboys are negotiating with some unproven commodity. This is a player who’s been elite since day one.
Parsons is projected to sign a deal that matches or exceeds Watt’s three-year, $123 million deal, assuming Jerry is willing to pay market value. The question isn’t whether Parsons deserves the money—it’s whether Jerry can resist the urge to turn every negotiation into a three-act play.
The Bottom Line
Jerry Jones has managed to take what should be a celebration—extending one of the NFL’s premier defensive players—and turn it into a melodrama that’s frustrating his star player and confusing everyone else. The Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons are engaged in what might be record-setting contract talks, but not for the reasons you’d hope.
At some point, Jerry will realize that paying Parsons is inevitable and that dragging it out only creates unnecessary drama. But then again, this is Jerry Jones we’re talking about—the man who’s never met a simple situation he couldn’t complicate.
Maybe Jerry should just pay the man and save us all from another season of “Will he or won’t he?” contract theater. But where’s the fun in that?
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