Former Penn State football linebacker and current Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons is expected to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. The12th overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft is at a standstill with Dallas owner Jerry Jones.
"Just because we sign him, doesn't mean we're going to have him," Jones said in media on Monday. "[Parsons] was hurt six games last year. Seriously. I remember signing a player for the highest-paid at the position in the league and he got knocked out two-thirds of the [way through the] year: Dak Prescott. There's a lot of things you can think about — just as the player does — when you're thinking committing and guaranteeing money."
Parsons' rookie contract will be up after the 2025-26 season. The defenseman signed a four-year, $17,079,793 fully-guaranteed deal.
He easily deserves to be one of the players the Cowboys floods money into to keep. Even though he missed four games (not six), Parsons recorded 43 tackles, 12 sacks, and two forced fumbles in the 2024 regular season. His performance landed him another Pro Bowl selection.
Jones also compared players to cars, according to USA Today, saying the price of both have inflated over the years and they still "go dead" after mentioning Prescott's season-ending injury (which also has nothing to do with the defenseman's current situation).
In regards to Parsons, the defenseman opted to wait on participating in drills and practices while the Cowboys are in Oxnard to ensure he remains healthy. That doesn't mean he's injured, but for Jones, it's enough to pause all conversations about deals as well as the fact that every player showing up is currently under contract for 2025.
#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones randomly takes a shot at Micah Parsons, saying even if they sign him, it doesn’t mean they’ll have him, because he was hurt for 6 games last year (fact check: he only missed 4).
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 21, 2025
He then also says they made Dak Prescott the richest player in football —… pic.twitter.com/g6T8FnEEOX
"When you're up there in that top ten percent, so to speak, of the league and that top quartile of your team," Jones said, "leadership is really big. And leaders exhibit themselves when you're negotiating as well. So I'm appreciative of [Parsons] being here."
In the offseason, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Parsons has stepped up and stressed about taking a leap in his leadership despite the untimely contract disruptions. There's no doubt that his money will flood in with a new deal after 2025 and realistically he has nothing to worry about. In the meantime, however, it's more of a lingering irritant.
"Of all of the players that I've ever negotiated with, [Parsons] is as savvy and knowledgeable and understanding of his financial business relative to football as any player I've ever been around."