Parsons Holds Out in Oxnard, Cowboys Face Contract Stalemate
Star Edge Rusher Skips Practice Amid Ongoing Deal Negotiations
Dallas Cowboys’ electrifying edge rusher, Micah Parsons, is present at the team’s Oxnard, California training camp, but he’s conspicuously absent from the practice field. He’s holding out as he awaits a new contract extension, a situation eerily similar to quarterback Dak Prescott‘s at this time last year.
A Familiar Pattern Emerges
Last season, Prescott navigated the same contractual uncertainty, ultimately signing a substantial four-year, $240 million agreement on the eve of the season opener. Parsons recently highlighted that the Cowboys appear to be employing the same strategy with him as they did with Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, running back Ezekiel Elliott, and offensive lineman Zack Martin.
Lamb inked his deal just twelve days before the 2024 season kicked off. Meanwhile, Martin missed twenty-one days of training camp in 2023 before a contract adjustment. Elliott, famously, held out until the week of the 2019 season opener to secure his extension.
“I mean, it’s an every year conversation. Whether it’s myself, Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, now Micah Parsons. It’s part of it in a sense. It’s something that I wouldn’t wish anyone was going through. Absolutely not.”
—Dak Prescott, Quarterback
Player’s Perspective on the Stalemate
Despite the contractual limbo, Parsons reported to camp punctually, choosing instead to observe and wait for his agent to receive a response from the Cowboys. He noted that the team has yet to return any calls from his representatives.
Prescott, who has experienced contract holdouts twice himself, offered his perspective on the situation.
“I think Micah is doing a helluva job with being here. He’s a great teammate. He shows up, not just on the practice field and being focused, being the camaraderie [with the players], [going to] dinner. He’s not just doing it to sign off and say ‘Hey, Jerry [Jones] look at me.’ He wants to be out there practicing and honestly I’m glad he’s not. He can’t do that to himself.”
—Dak Prescott, Quarterback
Prescott continued, emphasizing the business aspect of these negotiations.
“That’s the business of it. That’s the business of a holdout. I think he’s taking some great steps in being here. I don’t know if there’s a correct way to handle it, to be honest with you. I will say that I think he deserves to get paid. He should get paid and ultimately, going off the history from what I’ve seen, he will get paid. Hopefully it’s sooner than later.”
—Dak Prescott, Quarterback
Parsons Poised for Landmark Deal
Parsons is widely expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. This anticipated deal would surpass the $123 million, three-year extension recently signed by Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt.
In 2023, the average annual value for edge rushers saw significant increases, with several players securing deals averaging over $25 million per year. Parsons‘ projected earnings could set a new benchmark in the league for his position.
