Dak Prescott expresses confidence in Micah Parsons playing Week 1

Micah Parsons' fate with the Dallas Cowboys has yet to be decided, and it might come down to Jerry Jones' stubbornness and the franchise tag to keep him around.
Former Penn State football defenseman Micah Parsons at the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams joint practice
Former Penn State football defenseman Micah Parsons at the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams joint practice | Ric Tapia/GettyImages

No one knows exactly how the contract dispute between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys will play out, especially with the situation getting uglier day by day.

Jerry Jones intends on handling the situation like he did when Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was at front and center of the drama. He told Michael Irwin that the Cowboys will have Parsons this season as well as the 2026 and 2027 seasons by means of a franchise tag.

Though the former Penn State football linebacker and current NFL defensive end doesn't have full control of the situation, he's done everything he can in his power.

Micah Parsons' negotiating tactics can become costly if Jerry Jones ties him down in Dallas

Parsons cited a back injury for the reason why he did not participate in OTAs, training camp, and the preseason. His recent MRI came back "pretty clean," according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and Jones initially claimed his hurt back as a negotiating tactic. The owner also said that Parsons' next move of submitting a trade request was another tactic. Now, Parsons removed affiliation with the Cowboys via social media.

While the Green Bay Packers work out trade deals, Dallas will continue shutting them down. It's clear that Jones intends on keeping Parsons tied down to the team one way or another. If the former Nittany Lion receives a letter from the team reading he's cleared to practice based on his recent MRI scan, Parsons stands to lose about $5.33 million. With how things have panned out, it wouldn't be surprising to see Jones make this dispute worse than it's become.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is confident Micah Parsons will play Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles

In the midst of all the ugliness, Prescott shared a silver lining Cowboys fans can hold on to.

"I've got confidence," Prescott told media on Monday regarding Parsons' Week 1 availability as reported by The Athletic's Jon Machota. “I’ve told [y'all] that way back when. And I’m just going off experience, honestly. No different than mine. I’ve got confidence in that. Just hoping, which I know he is, he’s ready to play.”

Prescott played on the franchise tag in 2020 as a result of a contract holdout and signed his $160 million extension in 2021. It was a series of two disputes the quarterback went through with Dallas due to a similar scenario of wanting his agent present for an official contract negotiation whereas Jones stayed true to his informal handshakes directly with the player.

Parsons hasn't gotten the NFL-type reps in the offseason or preseason. Regardless of how often he works out or stays in shape, being prepared to play on the field is another story.

The 53-man rosters will be official by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Whether Parsons actually plays or not is another question that will determined at a later date. One thing's for certain, though. The team is ready for Parsons to get back into action.

“All the guys miss him," Trevon Diggs said to media on Monday. "Everybody wants him out there. I just hope that everything gets handled so we can just go out there and win.”