It was not a great year for the Cowboys, who entered 2024 with championship aspirations and will go out with a 7-10 record and a long offseason ahead. One of the big issues looming for the franchise is the future of star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who struggled with injuries and missed the Pro Bowl for the first time in his four-year career.
Despite that, Parsons still logged 12.0 sacks in just 13 games, tied for fifth in the NFL, and showed strong leadership even as the Cowboys were in position to cave in during the second half of the season.
But now, the Cowboys need to pay Parsons. They'd be wise to do so sooner rather than later, eschewing the team's usual tactic of slow-playing massive new contracts, as it did with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott last offseason.
Parsons is under contract for $24 million on his fifth-year option, which the Cowboys picked up. He is now eligible for an extension, which Spotrac projects at three years and $88 million--though that is likely to be low.
More likely is something close to the record-setting five-year, $170 million contract signed by 49ers star Nick Bosa. Either way, Parsons will get a big-time raise next season.
If he can't reach an agreement with the Cowboys, Parsons could hold out, as Lamb did last offseason. Or he could demand a trade. But, as he said, he has plans to make that part of his future. Parsons wants to be a Cowboy.
"I called upon the Star. I landed on it, and I'm grateful," Parsons said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. "I feel like I got one of the best jobs in America."
Assuming Parsons returns, the real question will be timing. If the Cowboys act quickly--which they did not do with Prescott and Lamb--they could structure Parsons' deal to give them flexibility on the free-agent market.
"I don't want to hold anybody up," Parsons said. "I want to see some of these (free agents) back in this locker room. We have a great opportunity. I want to see change. I want to see players here. I want to be as aggressive as we can be. I don't want to be a headache to nobody."
