Jerry Jones doesn't seem nearly as concerned as fans and the media about superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons' recent trade request. The much-maligned Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager has expressed confidence that the two sides will eventually find common ground and end their well-chronicled contractual stalemate. But until (if) that time comes, they remain at odds over a supposed handshake agreement dating back to March.
Yes, you read that correctly. Parsons admittedly (and mistakenly) "engaged in a back and forth" talks with Jones a handful of months ago and things got wildly lost in translation. Their words got dramatically crossed, bringing us to the messy situation in Dallas today. Yet, what if we told you that someone could've nipped this problem in the bud? Not just anyone, but a beloved figure of the Cowboys' locker room who was facing near-identical circumstances this time last year: Dak Prescott.
Dak Prescott could've spared Cowboys of Micah Parsons-Jerry Jones drama
Perhaps no one understands Jones' tactics better than Prescott, who's won two very public, hard-fought extension negotiations against the Cowboys. In other words, the former has been in Parsons' shoes -- multiple times. including last offseason. The latter reportedly even tried directly discussing a deal with Dallas' franchise quarterback, which was promptly and rightfully rebuffed but also raise a gigantic question.
Why didn't Prescott warn Parsons? The standout signal-caller "quickly shut [Jones] down" when in this position last summer, according to Michael Silver of The Athletic ($). What happened to teammates looking out for each other?
We're not blaming Prescott for Parsons and Jones' game of chicken. However, had Dallas' longtime passer confronted the sack artist, maybe the Cowboys wouldn't be in this predicament. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and there's no guarantee things would be different. Nonetheless, it's hard to envision a worse scenario than the current state of affairs.
Even if Prescott didn't personally relay a message to Parsons, can their agents not communicate? The players' representatives aren't equally as incentivized, but they're presumably netting a 3 percent commission fee on nine-figure paydays, which isn't insignificant. There's a lot of money at stake for all parties involved, but those literally getting paid to resolve it aren't helping.
As Silver mentions, Parsons simply telling Jones his demands is a massive no-no. The three-time All-Pro shouldn't have let them exchanging thoughts reach that point. Prescott knew to do that, telling "Jerry Poppins" to take it up with his trusted intermediary, Todd France of Athletes First.