Micah Parsons puts Jerry Jones on notice by hinting at possible departure

The Dallas Cowboys may be one of the leading picks to win the Super Bowl this year, but if they have any hope of becoming a true deep playoff threat for years to come, they're going to have to spend.

A quick look around the roster and gander at the payroll creates a queasy feeling when thinking about how the Cowboys might safely pay those who are deserving while still keeping the needed skills in place.

A good summary from K.D. Drummond at CowboysWire looks at at least seven who need to rework contracts or get extensions. Here are a few important ones:

• Dak Prescott needs an extension
• Zack Martin needs an extension
• CeeDee Lamb needs an extension
• Trevon Diggs may need a restructure
• Micah Parsons needs an extension

There is an argument Stephon Gilmore and Tyron Smith deserve extensions as well.

Prescott and Parsons are the two biggest names there, and arguably the most important extensions to figure out. Lamb, Martin, and Diggs are important to keep around as well, but Prescott and Parsons are the leaders on either end of the ball and key foundational pieces that Dallas needs to manage a way around in the cap sheet.

Perhaps no contract causes more anxiety than Parsons, though, especially after recent comments.

Did Micah Parsons just threaten to leave the Cowboys?

Asked about Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Micah Parsons acknowledged Quinn has probably earned a head coaching job and could very well leave Dallas after this year. But he also tossed in an interesting point, saying:

“Dan is my guy. And if he does leave, it’s always love. He might take me with him, you never know.”

Parsons knows the deal with his contract. At present, he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. His comments here clearly put pressure on Jerry Jones and the organization to figure out a way to keep Parsons paid, happy, and with the team for the future.

Will Parsons leave? The Cowboys would have to be foolish to make that happen. The dream in building a football team is drafting gems like Lamb and Parsons and making sure you get them to put pen to paper before they ever get a chance to see the open market.

It will only be a matter of when for Parsons and his Dallas extension. Now, how the Cowboys build around the cap space these big extensions will take up? That's another challenge entirely.