CeeDee Lamb didn’t mince his words as he chimed in on the brewing contract dispute between Micah Parsons and Jerry Jones. If there’s anybody that knows what can happen during these negotiations, it’s Lamb. He held out last year as he waited for the Cowboys to finally agree on a new deal worth $136 million over four years.
He made it clear he’s not trying to pour gasoline onto the fire between the two sides, but he wants to contextualize the situation. And to be honest, everything he said was right on.
“For Micah, man, he knows I love him and being in this situation, obviously playing this media game with Jerry is not the best. It’s not fun. It’s not recommended. … And he should get what he deserves and I’m not indulging in any of the craziness they got going, but I do want Micah to get paid soon,” Lamb said, per Tod Archer, ESPN NFL Nation reporter.
Micah Parsons is right to be mad, he just has to play the game a little bit better
The best advice Lamb just gave Parsons was to not play Jones’ game when it comes to negotiating his extension. Parsons is smart to not hold out now he needs to simply let his performance in practice prove why Jones shouldn’t delay his extension any longer.
While the hold out probably would have been more effective – it worked for Lamb last year and Ezekiel Elliott a few years back – if that’s not the route he wants to go, that could keep him in Jones’ good graces. As long as he doesn’t continue playing the media game, thinking that will apply pressure to Jones.
If there’s one thing Jones loves to do is be in front of a camera and making things public will only fracture the relationship between the two sides. Parsons should know better than that. He knows what he’s worth and shouldn’t be worried about a deal getting done.
Micah Parsons knows his worth and should know Jerry Jones isn’t going to let him walk
Jones is all about the dramatics so if he ends up getting a deal done with Parsons right up against Week 1, I wouldn’t be surprised. It happened with Dak Prescott last year and because Parsons is a full participant so far, it could make Jones want to work with his agent to come to an agreement.
One thing Jones isn’t going to do is let Parsons walk. Jones likes winning too much and he knows how important Parsons is to the Cowboys success. Dallas hasn’t reached the NFC championship in 30 years. They won’t get there by parting ways with Parsons.
Since he was drafted in 2021, he’s amassed 172 solo tackles with 52.5 sacks and nine forced fumbles. He’s been one of the most destructive EDGE rushers in the NFL. His role on this team is too valuable to not come to an agreement. It will get done, Parsons just needs to be patient and keep the conversations private. It would go a long way to getting things resolved amicably.