Robert Griffin III Sends Harsh Message to Cowboys, Parsons & Jerry Jones

The Dallas Cowboys have seen the benefits of having Micah Parsons on the field. When healthy, one could make a strong argument that Parsons is the best defensive player in the NFL, earning All-Pro honors in three of his first four seasons in the league.

But the Cowboys eventually need to lock him up to a long-term extension, and there have been questions about when and if they’ll do that. With Myles Garrett landing a deal for $123.5 million in guaranteed money in March, the Cowboys’ price on Parsons has only gone up.

Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III believes that’s a problem, and the Cowboys need to do something about it now.

“The longer Jerry Jones waits, the more expensive Micah Parsons becomes,” Griffin posted on X. The Dallas Cowboys need to stop being reactive and become proactive as a franchise in getting deals done. If the player is a cornerstone of your program, pay them. If you don’t think they are, then trade them and move on.

“When you constantly go ALL IN with the ‘wait and see what the market is’ approach, the relationship with the player erodes, it becomes all about the money, and ‘yesterday’s price isn’t today’s price’ doesn’t work in your favor. Pay your guys and show the rest of the locker room that you will reward them for developing and doing their job at an elite level.”

What Does Parsons Want?

While the Dallas Cowboys would be making the right decision to extend Parsons now, the price isn’t easy to forget. If he wants to be paid like Garrett, and he has every right to feel that way after producing at his level, the Cowboys would take on a massive contract and impact the other moves they could make.

However, Parsons isn’t looking to get $40 million per year, and noted that he wants to play with good players.

“It would be nice to be surrounded by good players. Players are going to help you win championships. I want to keep as many guys as possible. I want to work with them as much as possible.”

“I don’t need $40 million per year. I need to be somewhere where I can have a lake house,” Parsons said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.

What Will His Contract Look Like?

If Parsons lands a new deal this offseason, it should look like Garrett’s. If it’s $125 million in guaranteed money, that’s a price the Dallas Cowboys should be willing to pay.

Benjamin Solak of ESPN believes it’ll come out to $125 million in guaranteed, and $175 million overall for five years.

“Despite some public consternation between edge rusher Micah Parsons and the Cowboys’ brass, an extension will get done this offseason, and it’ll be the biggest one a defensive player has ever seen,” Solak wrote.

“Nick Bosa got $170 million over five years; Parsons will get $175 million over the same length, along with $125 million in total guaranteed money to exceed Bosa’s $122.5 million figure. Parsons has been the league’s best defender when on the field this season. He deserves every penny,” Solak wrote in February.