The Cowboys spoke in circles around the details of Micah Parsons’ future contract, but one thing is clear: he’s getting that money.
The Dallas Cowboys may not have many playoff wins to show for it, yet one could still say on paper they have one of the most talented rosters in the league.
And with big talent comes big contracts: Dallas is expected to lock down Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and a few other stars in the near future, something that the Cowboys’ salary cap wizards will have to figure out.
Also in the mix for a mega-extension is pass-rusher Micah Parsons, the Cowboys’ 2021 first-round pick who will be eligible for a new deal after the 2023 season.
Parsons’ offseason move from linebacker to defensive end means he will spend most of his 2023 snaps rushing the passer, which is something he’s grown accustomed to in the last two seasons, anyway.
His versatility, per Stephen Jones, only makes Parsons more valuable to the team, and Jones told reporters that regardless of where he plays next season, he’s going to get a well-deserved extension.
Cowboys’ Stephen Jones promises media Micah Parsons will be extended
Parsons finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his first two seasons, racking up 26.5 sacks in total.
With a clean bill of health and the ability to terrorize any NFL quarterback, Parsons should be a Cowboy for many, many more years. But extending the Cowboys’ star quadruplet (Prescott, Lamb, Trevon Diggs, and Parsons) poses as the tallest of orders, one even the New Orleans Saints’ cap geniuses may not be able to finesse.
Though Jones claims Parsons’ position doesn’t make a difference in whether he gets a new contract, it does make a difference in how much that contract will cost the team.
In the NFL, defensive ends are typically paid more than outside linebackers; the difference in franchise tenders is roughly $4 million more for defensive ends.
That might not seem like a lot, but for the Cowboys especially, every penny matters.
When it comes time to pay the piper, Parsons should command a deal in the same ballpark as that of Aaron Donald, the current highest-paid defensive player in the league. A team would have to be batshit insane to let a defender of Parson’s caliber walk away — Dallas has done some insane things in the past but based on Jones’ comments, Parsons is untouchable.