The Dallas Cowboys are once again about to drop a historic bag on a franchise star. Just give them, like, a few weeks or months to drag it out.
Last offseason, we sat through an endless cycle of speculation around CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, only for Jerry Jones to cave and offer both of 'em unprecedented contracts at the final buzzer, right before the regular season. Now All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons is due, and the widespread expectation is that something gets done... eventually. Just don't expect Jones to make it a priority.
"It's not uncommon for me to negotiate directly with players," Jones told reporters when asked about a one-on-one meeting with Parsons at the NFL league meetings in March. "I've done that. We are there. I don't view it as urgent, at all.
Jones still has not spoken directly with Parsons' agent, only the player, which represents a notable hurdle in these negotiations. They discussed a deal in the range of five years and $200 million, per Athlon Sports, which would make Parsons the NFL's highest paid non-quarterback.
Don't expect a swift resolution in Cowboys extension talks with Micah Parsons
This is not cause for concern in Dallas, as there's virtually zero chance Parsons does not end up signing a new deal. Still, putting it off this long leaves the door open, ever so slightly, for chaos. There is already built-in skepticism around the Jerry Jones regime and his way of doing business. None of us want to live through another round of the Lamb-Prescott drama.
Cowboys COO Stephen Jones did offer a positive outlook on Parsons' new contract, but again, it seems like this will take a while.
"I don't comment on close or far away or any of that," Jones said from the Cowboys facility. "Those things, usually, when the right things come together and everybody's ready to do a deal, then it happens. Certainly, we want Micah here, and he knows we want him here, and I think ultimately, we'll get something done."
It's hard to imagine Parsons in a different uniform. Even as a Penn State kid with direct Philadelphia ties, he has made it his mission to become the face of Cowboys football. He's on every broadcast, every podcast (his own included), giving his thoughts on Dallas' situation. He wants to be in a Cowboys uniform and there is clearly a desire and willingness to get this wrapped up eventually. That the number is already at $200 million is quite promising, as it will be hard for Parsons to reject such a monumental paycheck.
The Cowboys just need to act with more urgency, whether Jones wants to or not. If he's willing to write a $200 million check, why has this not crossed the finish line already? Everyone keeps saying they want to make it happen — that there's alreadty a framework in place along with mutual interest — so it's difficult to understand why this uncertainty lingers.
Dallas cannot afford to drop the ball here. Unfortunately, if anyone can drop the ball — or at least infuse this situation with more drama and speculation than necessary — it's the NFL's own god-like figure, the man with his hand in every nook and cranny of the Cowboys' operation. Jerry Jones likes the spotlight and he's sure to complicate this process, if only to milk it for as much as it's worth.