Receiver CeeDee Lamb held out of the offseason program and training camp in 2024 before the Cowboys gave him a contract extension. Edge rusher Micah Parsons might have to take the same path to get the deal he wants before the 2025 season.
Parsons is entering the fifth-year option on his deal and unlikely to play on that after being woefully underpaid in 2024 with a $2.989 million base salary.
“I don't think anyone's ever underestimated Micah's value in terms of what he can bring,” executive vice president Stephen Jones told Jori Epstein of chof360 Sports. “From the day he walked in the door, he's been one of those [guys who], when he's rolling, it's a problem for the other guys, and they got to find him. They got to figure out how they're going to go at him.
“I don't want to get into the details [of] early, late, when all that comes. Too early for any of that, but obviously Micah is an important part of what we're about.”
The Cowboys have a recent history of waiting too long to agree to contracts with their stars, costing them money. They did it last year with Lamb and Dak Prescott, with Lamb waiting to sign until Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson reset the market.
Without a new deal for Parsons before March, the Cowboys could find themselves waiting for Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt and/or Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett to reset the market.
Parsons has earned whatever he receives from the Cowboys with 52.5 sacks, 112 quarterback hits and 256 tackles. He is a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro. Yet, he has made only $17 million on four years of his rookie contract.
The Cowboys will have to pay him to see him on the field in 2025, and the sooner they do that, the better it will be for the long run.
