Micah Parsons trade whispers have everything to do with Jerry Jones latest obsession

The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2025 offseason with one primary objective: sign perennial All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons to a long-term contract extension.

Last offseason, the Cowboys managed to secure deals for star quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Still, both contracts were held up until the final days before the regular season, which significantly impeded the Cowboys’ ability to retain their top free agents or bolster their roster. The team’s significant turnover ultimately hindered the team, and they finished with a losing record for the first time since 2020.

That’s a situation the Cowboys would be wise to avoid this time around, although early indications suggest that team owner Jerry Jones may not have learned his lesson just yet. 

Jerry Jones’ latest infatuation could be behind Micah Parsons trade rumors

Parsons has been expected to sign a record-setting contract as he heads into the fourth year of his rookie deal, but Jones and Co. may have other ideas. There has been recent speculation about the Cowboys trading Parsons for draft capital in an effort to acquire talent at a cheaper price. Those trade rumors could be sparked into reality by Jones’ recent infatuation with Travis Hunter, Colorado’s two-way superstar.

During a recent episode of the “Scoop City” podcast, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said Jones may view Hunter as the next Deion Sanders, who helped lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl championship and served as Hunter's collegiate coach at Colorado.

“I’ve heard Jerry really likes Travis Hunter,” Russini said. “That’s a very Dallas Cowboy move. … Just because they like him doesn’t mean they’re going to do it, … [but] you never know.”

Hunter thrived as both a wide receiver and cornerback in Colorado, and he’s been viewed as a generational prospect heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. In 2024, he won the Biletnikoff award for being the best wide receiver, the Bednarik award for being the best defensive player and the Heisman Trophy for being the best overall player in college football.

The 21-year-old is considered to be the best overall prospect in this year’s draft class, and he’s unlikely to still be on the board beyond the top three picks. The Cowboys currently hold the No. 12 overall pick, which means it would cost them a pretty significant sum to move up in range for Hunter. Unless Dallas wants to sacrifice multiple first-round draft picks, they’d have to include Parsons is any deal to trade up.

Still, there’s no guarantee that Hunter would make the Cowboys better than Parsons, so it may not be wise to sacrifice what they already have in favor of an unknown variable. There’s little doubt that Hunter’s skillset will translate to the professional level, but there are skeptics who believe he will not be able to play on both sides of the ball in the NFL. Some teams may view him as a cornerback who can play wide receiver in situational offensive packages, while others may view him primarily as a wide receiver. Finding a fit and utilizing Hunter properly could prove to be detrimental if handled poorly, but he could also become a once-in-a-lifetime player who can dominant on both ends. 

Then again, Parsons has already proven that he could develop into a generational player himself.