NFL fans know Jerry Jones is an... eccentric owner to say the least. His football acumen may be suffering as of late, considering he decided to trade away arguably the Dallas Cowboys' best player in defensive end Micah Parsons when contract negotiations got real ugly, but new details in that saga reveal he's still got some sense left in him.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday that Jones and Cowboys brass declined a strong push by the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire Parsons via trade over the summer. It's not clear what Philly general manager Howie Roseman offered for the four-time Pro Bowler but Dallas had no intention of trading Parsons within the NFC East division.
The Green Bay Packers eventually wound up landing the two-time All Pro pass rusher in a deal that sent two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Cowboys. Parsons then signed a four-year, $188 million deal that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Eagles took low risk, high reward home run swing at landing Micah Parsons
If Dallas had been so inclined to agree to a deal with the Eagles, it would've sent Parsons back to his old stomping grounds in Pennsylvania. Though, according to his agent, Parsons grew up a Cowboys fan in Eagles country and always had his sights set on Dallas.
"He grew up cheering for the Cowboys, wore the blue and white at Penn State, wore it in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys," David Mulugheta told ESPN's 'First Take' on Tuesday. "He wanted to be a Cowboy, and we did everything we could for him to remain a Cowboy."
While Parsons is from Harrisburg, he has long hinted that if he were to play for a hometown team, it would be the Steelers so he could be coached by Mike Tomlin.
“Yeah, I do (rock with the Steelers),” Parsons said back in February, via CBS Sports. “I said if I ever return home, it was going with Pittsburgh. I mess with Mike Tomlin the long way.”
Why Jerry Jones didn't consider trading Micah Parsons to the Eagles
The irony of the situation and learning that Jones was unwilling to deal with the Eagles is that he struck a rare agreement with Roseman during the 2021 NFL Draft. Dallas traded the No. 10 overall pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the No. 12 pick and some change. The Eagles landed Alabama wide receiver and Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith while the Cowboys used their pick on, yes you guessed it, Parsons.
However, trading Parsons to the Eagles at this point in his career – when he is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL during the middle of his prime – would've led to a full-on riot by Cowboys fans. Dallas plays Philly twice a season, and they are brutal rivals. Not even Jerry Jones is that aloof.
Dallas will face a Parsons-less Philadelphia team to kick off the 2025-26 NFL season on Thursday but without Parsons themselves, it will be a first true test of resilience and talent. The Cowboys will, in fact, see Parsons once this year when the Packers travel to Jerry World on Sept. 28 for Sunday Night Football.