Micah Parsons‘ contract has, beyond the Dallas Cowboys‘ disappointing free agency, been the key talking point around Dallas ever since both Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett signed lucrative extensions.
Of the elite edge rushers in the NFL, only TJ Watt – along with Parsons – is in a contract year. And Parsons, ever vocal on social media, made a clear pronouncement about the situation.
Although Parsons did not follow up the message with any defining context – we all know what he is referring too – a future extension with the Cowboys.
Due to the Cowboys’ historical reticence to pay their stars on numerous occasions; Dak Prescott, DeMarcus Lawrence and Tony Pollard – all of whom played on the franchise tag; it stands to reason that they would not make the Parsons extension an easy one.
And after Myles Garrett‘s enormous $40 million/year deal signed last week, the 3 x All-Pro’s price point just got even higher.
Will Myles Garrett Take A Discount To Stay In Dallas?
Parsons made it clear in December that he does not need to be the highest paid player at his position.
“It would be nice to be surrounded by good players. Players that will help me win championships, I’ll say that.” Parsons revealed at the end of 2024, via Pro Football Talk.
“To me, having $40 million and being chipped every play and slid into three, four people, that doesn’t sound too fun to me. So, to me, it’s about keeping people that can make a difference and obviously we’re going to get Sam [Williams] back, some players back. We’ll see how it breaks down, but I want to keep as many guys as possible. They will make the cap work, I don’t know.”
But now, with Garrett at $40 million/year, Parsons thoughts on the matter may begin to shift.
Not only will Parsons note the humongous contracts given to other defensive ends, but $40 million won’t even re-set the market anymore.
Now, the Cowboys have the case that over the past few years, Parsons has not been as good as Garrett, with inconsistencies within the season seeing the former Penn State star disappear in games almost as frequently as he dominates them.
But there is no doubt that Parsons still belongs in the upper echelon of edge rushers – indeed defensive players – in the National Football League.
What Kind Of Contract Will Parsons Receive From The Cowboys?
It is difficult to say at this point. With $48 million in cap space this upcoming season – good for 7th in the NFL – and few major free agency additions of note, the Cowboys could well be gearing up to hit the Pro Bowler with a deal that hits somewhere near the $40 million mark.
Dallas have played hard-ball in terms of delaying giving players their deal, but they rarely get good prices or “hometown discounts” on their stars.
Dak Prescott just signed a 4 year, $240 million deal that made him the highest paid player in the NFL by $5 million/year. All the while, the Buffalo Bills‘ Josh Allen took a $55 million/year deal (6 years $330 million) – albeit with more in guarantees – despite being unquestionably a superior player to Dak.
Will Parsons end up breaking the contract record for a non-QB, perhaps. But if he doesn’t, he will be not far away from it.
