Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava made waves this week when he decided to hold out of spring practice seeking a new NIL deal. In 2022, he signed a contract worth $2 million per season, but he wants to double this now.
NIL deals in general are still new to the NCAA, but a holdout is uncharted territory. It's also upsetting to Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
The outspoken defender has never shied away from any topic and took to social media to call out the NIL era players. Parsons referred to college football as a joke, while calling out players who don't honor their contracts.
Parsons himself is in the midst of a contract negotiation as he enters the final year of his deal. He's set to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, but there are concerns that Jerry and Stephen Jones could drag their feet too long and upset their star player , as they did with CeeDee Lamb in 2024.
That said, it might be an encouraging sign that Parsons expects players to honor their contracts. That could indicate that he has no intention of holding out, even if the Jones family continues to act like the Jones family.
