Micah Parsons let an NFL legend clap back at Jerry Jones for him

Dallas Cowboys training camp is here, and with it comes your standard serving of Jerry Jones-fueled preseason drama. Last year, the Cowboys' owner/GM hung Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb out to dry in contract negotiations until the last possible moment. Now he's dragging contract negotiations with star linebacker Micah Parsons into training camp.

Jones took things a step further on Monday, elevating the drama beyond "when will Parsons get his money" to "will Parsons even want to play for this dude next season?" When asked about his ongoing deliberations with Parsons, Jones laid out why he is hesitant to shell out guaranteed money. A Parsons contract will presumably make the 26-year-old the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL.

Is Jones concerned about anything tangible on the football field? No, but he is concerned about injuries.

"Just because we sign (Parsons), doesn't mean we're going to have him," Jones told reporters. "He was hurt six games last year. I remember signing a player for the highest-paid at the position in the league, then he got knocked out two-thirds of the year. Dak Prescott."

What a truly absurd comment for a number of reasons, not least of all that Parsons only missed four games in 2024 — not six. But rather than issue a heated response of his own, Parsons let another NFL star doing the talking for him.

Micah Parsons retweets JJ Watt's takedown of ridiculous Jerry Jones comment

Former Defensive Player of the Year and Houston Texans legend JJ Watt took to Twitter (or X) to comment on the Jones situation. He summed it up nicely — and earned a retweet from Parsons, which is sure to leave Cowboys fans uneasy.

"Anytime you can publicly take a dig at your star quarterback and your star pass rusher simultaneously, right before the season begins, you just gotta take it," Watt wrote. "Nothing makes guys want to fight for you more than hearing how upset you are that they got hurt while fighting for you."

Watt is dead right. Jones' statement shows an incredible lack of awareness. A lack of empathy. A lack of front office savvy, to be honest. This statement is the sort that can turn a loyal player into a malcontent. Parsons has given every bit of himself to the Cowboys since arriving in Dallas. He's arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL. Those four games he missed last season? Those are the only four games he has missed in four NFL seasons. He is by and large an ironman. He has been the most dependable star in Dallas since his arrival. So Jones' comments aren't only incendiary and harmful, they are wildly off-base.

Micah Parsons is still doing the 'right thing', but for how much longer?

Parsons will report to Cowboys training camp and prepare as if he's going to be on the field in Week 1. But if Jones is undermining Parsons' confidence in the Cowboys organization, one can't help but wonder how bad this gets. There is a world in which Parsons passes up a long-term contract altogether and just enters free agency in 2026. That feels unthinkable in today's NFL, but Jones' comment was a real mask-off moment. Jones' true feelings and intentions were laid bare on that stage. He can't walk those comments back; the seed of doubt is planted.

Maybe Parsons chooses financial stability and the perks of Cowboys stardom over the risk of playing out the year without a new deal. But now more than ever, there is real doubt around Parsons' future in Dallas. The blame lies 100 percent with Jerry Jones.