Cowboys All-Pro Micah Parsons claims he would take less money on new deal to play with Myles Garrett

The NFL’s edge rusher market is going to be reset this offseason, and the Dallas Cowboys will play a huge role.

Three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons is currently set to play out his fifth-year option on his rookie deal in 2025, which is why he is proactively seeking a contract extension this offseason, specifically before free agency kicks off in March. Parsons is the only player with at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons in the NFL since the league began tracking individual sacks in 1982, which positions him to be paid like “the best in the business.” 

However, Parsons’ stance on how much he needs to make on his second NFL contract could shift if the Cowboys were to trade for 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher Myles Garrett this offseason. Garrett requested a trade this offseason after spending the first eight years of his career with the Cleveland Browns, following his selection as the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

“He earned it, he earned that,” Parsons told CBS Sports HQ’s Bryant McFadden on Thursday when asked about Garrett making a trade request. “Bro, honestly like I’d like to see him in Dallas. I don’t know if we have the money for him.”

Parsons, 25, would “100%” take less money on his new contract in order for Dallas to trade and extend Garrett, who is 29. That would give the Cowboys the NFL’s sacks leader (Garrett with 60.0 sacks) and the league’s fifth-ranked player in sacks (Parsons with 52.5) since Parsons entered the NFL as the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones would need to promptly extend Garrett shortly after acquiring him via trade because the four-time First Team All-Pro doesn’t have any guaranteed salary remaining on the final two seasons, 2025 and 2026, of his current five-year, $125 million contract. Parsons is willing to take a smaller amount of money on his first non-rookie deal contract in the NFL to play alongside Garrett along the Dallas defensive line with one catch: he needs to be making slightly more than Garrett. 

“Oh, 100%. Yeah, 100%” Parsons said when asked if he would take pay cut for the Cowboys to acquire Garrett. “Will he take less too?… We would definitely have to make that happen. … As long as he [Jerry Jones] let me be a little higher [paid] than him [Garrett]. … I’m younger. … He [Garrett] want to be with us too. … I do alright [off the field as a Cowboy]. I do [want to win].”

Garrett was born and raised in Arlington, Texas — the city where Dallas’ AT&T Stadium is located — and grew up a Cowboys fan. Prior to going first overall to Cleveland in 2017 out of Texas A&M, he begged the Cowboys to trade quarterback Tony Romo and draft picks to the Browns in order for his hometown team to move up from the 28th overall pick to the first overall selection. Garrett said at the time, “I would love to play in Dallas. Just make it happen.”

San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa, the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is at the top of the edge rusher contract market in both total contract value ($170 million), average-per-year salary ($34 million) and total guaranteed money ($88 million), per OverTheCap.com. Garrett’s current five-year, $125 million deal is currently fourth in total contract value, fifth in average-per-year salary ($25 million) and fifth in total guaranteed money ($50 million). 

Parsons’ new deal will likely fall in between those two players, and then, if the Cowboys make good on their claim that they’re seriously evaluating changing their team-building approach , the Jones family could get creative on the structure of a Garrett extension. Parsons has a direct line to Jones, but only time will tell how much he will be influenced by Parsons’ latest attempt to improve the Cowboys’ roster.