The discourse between Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys’ players is reaching a boiling point, as former players chime in on the ongoing battle.
This could have all been resolved with the Dallas Cowboys paying edge rusher Micah Parsons what he’s worth. But instead, Jerry Jones and the front office have opted to play hardball, which has resulted in bubbling tensions in recent weeks, with training camp now underway.
Parsons has been in the building, but is holding out from practice until he gets a new contract. Without it, he’d be playing on the final year of his rookie deal, before entering free agency in 2026.
Jerry Jones’ comments landed him in hot water again, this time with former wide receiver Dez Bryant
Micah Parsons has recorded 58 sacks in four seasons. He’s on a generational run, and considering the contracts other pass rushers have signed this offseason, should be getting the new deal he’s chasing.
Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, TJ Watt, George Karlaftis, Greg Rousseau, and, most recently, Zach Allen, have all signed significant extensions during the 2025 offseason.
Garrett’s was a four-year, $160 million deal with the Cleveland Browns, while TJ Watt’s was a three-year, $123 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jerry Jones has made consistent remarks about Parsons as he awaits a new deal, which has led many to wonder if the Cowboys have any intention of paying him at all.
Others believe that this is simply the way Jones conducts his business, to maintain the headlines throughout the offseason.
Richard Sherman claimed there was something off about the Cowboys’ relationship with Parsons, and that it seemed at times that they simply didn’t like him.
Micah Parsons just shared this post about Jerry Jones' comments today 👀
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) July 21, 2025
"Just because we sign [Micah] doesn't mean we're gonna have him. He was hurt 6 games last year."
"I remember signing a player for the highest paid at the position in the league and he got knocked out 2/3… pic.twitter.com/o0e6vWQyq3
According to reports, part of the issue is that the Dallas Cowboys are currently refusing to speak with Micah Parsons’ agent. Jones and Parsons had one-to-one conversations in the spring, which led the Cowboys owner to believe they had a deal.
When Parsons then said any contract negotiations needed to go through his agent, the Cowboys’ front office refused.
Jerry Jones commented on the situation this week, bringing up Dez Bryant as an example:
“Because when we have a problem with the player, the agent is nowhere to be found.”
“Jay-Z said that Dez would make all meetings. Jay-Z and I negotiated the contract, spent hours. He said, ‘Anybody in my organization is on time.’ He said, ‘My office used to be on the street corner, and I’ve always been early. So, they will be on time.’ And what did I say? I said, ‘I’m going to call you [when I have a problem].’ He quit taking my call.”
Dez Bryant quickly hit back at those comments, posting abrasively on X:
“JERRY JONES I DONT THINK ITS SMART TO MENTION MY NAME
I KEPT QUIET ABOUT A LOT OF UNFAIR S—.. ON SOME G S—
WE CAN HAVE STORY TIME IF THATS WHAT WE ARE DOING”
That prompted a statement from Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s company, which said:
— Roc Nation Sports (@RocNationSports) August 3, 2025
Read more on the Micah Parsons-Cowboys feud
This could have all been avoided, Dallas Cowboys instead involved in endless media circus
It’s this type of thing that leads many to believe Jerry Jones is doing it all on purpose. He’s a very intelligent and successful man, and a lot of his moves are calculated.
He tends to make his players wait a lot longer than other franchises for their new contracts, why is unknown.
If Jones had signed Parsons to an extension in the early spring, he may have saved himself anything upwards of $10-20 million over the next four to five seasons, depending on how long the eventual contract is.
Instead, he’s frustrated one of his best players, while signing Jake Ferguson to an extension instead. Parsons has now formally requested a trade, and it can’t send a very positive message to the rest of the players on the roster if it’s this difficult for Micah Parsons to get a new deal over the line.
