Defensive end Micah Parsons posted a statement on social media, claiming, "I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys. My trade request has been submitted to Stephen Jones personally," in the midst of the team icing out his agent and refusing to move forward with contract negotiations.
On Aug. 2, though, it was reported that owner Jerry Jones said that the trade request was part of negotiation. Parsons and Jones have yet to discuss the matter since, and Tuesday brought a new development to the contract dispute. Jones said he is not confident that Parsons will be available for the season opener on Sept. 4.
"No, absolutely not," Jones said after Tuesday's practice, according to Archer. "A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?"
On Saturday, Jones told fans not to lose sleep. The running theme in recent history with the Cowboys is that deserving players don't sign their deals in a timely manner. In 2024, quarterback Dak Prescott signed his deal hours before the season opener. CeeDee Lamb also signed his contract after missing all of the Oxnard camp. The year before that, Zak Martin missed part of training camp as well due to his contract.
"Anybody that says I'm not interested in financially rewarding my players hasn't been looking at the tea leaves," Jones said. ". . . the negotiation is to put the best team on the field. And many times it's not even a question of 'deserving' . . . I enjoy [Parsons]. But as always in any relationships, there's different moods at different times of your relationship. That's what it is. Don't lose any sleep over it. That's the one thing I would say to our fans, 'Don't lose any sleep over it.'"
However, now Parsons is not a shoe-in to play against the Philadelphia Eagles and there has been no movement or discussion of the contract since the trade request was submitted. Jones also doubled down on the conversation he had with Parsons back in March.
Parsons said the meeting was about leadership, not his contract. Though that's where their conversation turned, he wanted his agent to be present and handle the extension officially. On Jones' end, though, he said he prefers not to involve agents in these matters.
"My experience has been the agent is not the one that solves the problems you have when you're executing what you said you would do in the contract," Jones said.
In that conversation back in March, Jones claimed he and Parsons agreed on an almost $200 million guaranteed extension that was on the table.
"What y'all don't know is what I offered him, and it's a helluva lot more than you think I did," Jones said, according to Todd Archer. "That's what you don't know . . . But my point is I reached. Make no mistake about it. I reached."
But the way Jones rolls is not how Parsons wants his contract handled. His agent has yet to be contacted, and Parsons even removed his No. 11 jersey while at Dallas training camp practices.
According to ESPN, he spent more time with the offensive players during Saturday's practice instead of with the defense during drills then proceeded to sit out of 11-on-11 practice. He sat on the grass underneath where Jones watches during that time and was even about seven feet apart from the owner at one point with only silence in between them.
While Jones assured fans not to lose any sleep on Saturday, Tuesday's developments with no movement with the contract, neither party sparking that conversation, no confidence in Parsons' Week 1 availability, and Jones saying they'll either work through it or they won't, it sounds like Parsons contract will be a last-minute scramble if anything.