Same as it ever was. Training camp is on the horizon and the Dallas Cowboys have a franchise cornerstone marred in ongoing contract negotiations, because Jerry Jones can never just pony up before the final buzzer. We all know Micah Parsons is going to become the highest-paid defensive player of all time. It's a matter of when... not if.
And yet, this does not feel quite as turbulent as the drawn-out negotiations with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last summer. Parsons wants his money, of course, but he has built his entire personal brand around being on the Cowboys. Him leaving was never really in the cards. He's not even playing hardball!
Parsons won't skip minicamp despite the absence of a new deal, according to himself.
"I will be there," the Cowboys star wrote on X. "I haven’t missed a mini camp in 4 years! Even though the contract is not done, I have teammates and a playbook ! I’m preparing as if I will be on the field the first week of camp! But it’s in the owner’s hands. I’m ready to win a Super Bowl!"
Micah Parsons commits to Cowboys minicamp despite ongoing contract negotiations
This comes in response to a quote from new Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who spoke glowingly of his relationship and "great communication" with Parsons, who has never missed a minicamp in four NFL seasons.
"I would assume (Parsons will be at minicamp)," Schottenheimer told reporters (h/t Clarence Hill Jr.). "Micah and I talked a couple of days ago. He's doing a little bit of traveling but again, everything that he and I talked about, I expect that he will be here. I say Micah and I have had great communication and everything that I've asked him to do and vice versa, he's followed through on so, I expect to see him."
This is great news for Cowboys fans. Parsons is committed to the cause and he clearly has zero intention of forcing his way to a new team. We can retire the Eagles pipe dreams and any other Dallas doomsday prophesying.
Parsons has four straight Pro Bowl appearances under his belt and is a two-time All-Pro at linebacker. He finished last season with 43 tackles, 23 QB hits and 12.0 sacks in only 13 appearances. There is not a more dominant pass-rusher in the NFC. The Cowboys' offense let down the defense at every turn last season, but the return of a healthy Dak Prescott — along with the arrival of a second dynamic wide receiver in George Pickens — ought to address those issues. New OC Klayton Adams has plenty of bullets in the proverbial chamber with this roster.
Is Dallas going to win the NFC East? Eh, probably not. But this is a talented team, despite Jerry Jones' best efforts to undermine his own product, and Parsons seems eager to suit up Week 1. These negotiations will come to a head eventually. It's only a matter of time, Cowboys fans.