Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons isn’t shy about expressing his opinions. Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who redefined the outside linebacker position, gave Parsons some unsolicited advice a couple of days ago. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year suggested that Parsons should focus more on football and less on podcasts.
Parsons, who is scheduled to make a fully guaranteed $24.007 million in 2025 on his fifth-year option, has had plenty to say about his contract. The 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year raised eyebrows last December by opening the door to taking a hometown discount. “I feel like you see a lot of times ‘highest paid,’ then we say they don’t have weapons, or they don’t have this,” Parsons said. “So I would rather just be in the best situation, you know? At that point, I don’t think there’s a big difference between $30 million and $40 million in my eyes, you know? And that’s just me talking.”
Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, famously took hometown discounts to allow the New England Patriots to assemble a more talented roster than would have been possible otherwise. Unlike what Parsons is considering, it didn’t start until 2013 when, as a 35-year-old, 13-year NFL veteran, Brady first renegotiated the four-year, $72 million contract extension he signed in 2010, which made him the NFL’s highest-paid player at $18 million per year.
Parsons recognized that his agent, Athletes First’s David Mulugheta, wouldn’t like his comments.
“My agent might be mad at me I even said that.” Parsons said. “But you know, for me, I mean I’ve already been blessed enough, bro, where like, I can’t complain too much in life.”
Parsons also seemed to take a potential holdout off the table if there isn’t a deal done in a timely manner, further undercutting his leverage. “I definitely think I need to be here in camp because, honestly, when so much of the defense is surrounded by your play and your presence, and others are getting lined up based off of you, I need to be here so that way I can get these guys accordingly,” he said. “We can rush together, build that chemistry. So I think it’s of extreme importance that I’m back at OTAs, minicamp [etc].”
As much as Parsons’ mindset may frustrate Mulugheta, it is ultimately an agent’s job to execute his/her client’s wishes. The agent works for the player. It isn’t the other way around.
Parsons recently indicated the Cowboys have a plan in place for his new deal. The four-time Pro Bowler has long preferred that his contract is addressed prior to the start of free agency on March 12. He would also like the Cowboys to bring in impact players by being aggressive in free agency.
That’s something Dallas hasn’t done in more than a decade. The last time the Cowboys made a splash in free agency was with Brandon Carr in 2012. Carr signed a five-year, $50.1 million deal averaging $10.02 million per year with $26.5 million of guarantees that made him the NFL’s fourth-highest paid cornerback.
How Cowboys should approach Parsons deal
The Cowboys’ plan should be to call Parsons’ bluff so he can put his money where his mouth is with a contract extension coming as soon as possible. Dallas should try to get Parsons to follow in the footsteps of DeMarcus Lawrence although he is better than the 11-year veteran was in his prime. Parsons has 52.5 sacks in four NFL seasons, making him one of just two players to ever record at least 12 sacks in each of his first four campaigns. The other person in this exclusive club is Hall of Fame defensive lineman Reggie White, who is widely regarded as the greatest defensive player in NFL history.
The five-year, $105 million extension Lawrence signed in 2019 made him the NFL’s second-highest paid edge rusher at $21 million per year behind Khalil Mack, who signed a six-year extension averaging $23.5 million per year in 2018 as part of his trade from the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders to the Chicago Bears. Mack’s deal averaged nearly 12% more than Lawrence’s and also not only made him the league’s highest-paid edge rusher, but also defensive player and non-quarterback.
The highest-paid non-quarterback is currently Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. He signed a four-year, $140 million extension last June averaging $35 million per year with $110 million in guarantees, of which $88.743 million was fully guaranteed at signing. The $88.743 million is the most ever fully guaranteed at signing for a non-quarterback.
Nick Bosa is at the top of the NFL edge rusher salary hierarchy with the five-year, $170 million extension averaging $34 million per year he received from the San Francisco 49ers right before the start of the 2023 regular season. The deal has a non-quarterback record of $122.5 million in overall guarantees and $88 million was fully guaranteed at signing. Upon signing, Bosa was the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback.
Trying to get Parsons to take a five-year, $155 million extension averaging $31 million per year would put Bosa’s $34 million-per-year deal about 10% higher. Lawrence had $65 million in guarantees and $48 million was fully guaranteed at signing, which ranked third and second all time, respectively, among edge rushers at the time. To do the same for Parsons, there would have to be more than Myles Garrett’s $100 million in guarantees and T.J. Watt’s $80 million fully guaranteed at signing.
Cowboys need to act fast this time around
This would require a big departure from the Cowboys’ typical negotiation time frame. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dragged his feet on signing wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott to new deals in 2024.
Lamb didn’t get his four-year, $136 million extension averaging $34 million per year to tie Bosa as the NFL’s second-highest paid non-quarterback until August during the latter part of the preseason. There are $100 million in guarantees, of which $67 million was fully guaranteed at signing. Both are the second-most ever in a wide receiver contract.
Prescott’s four-year, $240 million extension to become the NFL’s first $60 million-per-year player didn’t come until September, hours before Dallas’ regular-season opener. The deal contains a record $231 million in guarantees where $129 million was fully guaranteed as signing, which includes the biggest signing bonus in NFL history at $78,453,333.
The delayed Lamb and Prescott’s extensions freed up $9.251 million and $10,516,867 of 2024 salary cap room respectively. The Cowboys could gain $12.3 million in 2025 cap space with this type of Parsons extension where he receives a $52.5 million signing bonus that’s prorated at $10.5 million annually from 2025 through 2029 and his $24.007 million option year salary is lowered to a $1.207 million 2025 base salary to make his 2025 cap number $11.707 million. Parsons would be getting a non-quarterback record signing bonus eclipsing Bosa’s $50 million, which is the current benchmark.
The old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is probably going to be applicable to Parsons’ situation although it would behoove the Cowboys to get a deal done quickly. Odds are the Cowboys will squander the opportunity to create goodwill with Parsons because there still won’t be a resolution as the start of training camp is approaching in the latter part of July.
Waiting will only cost the Cowboys more in the long run even if Parsons gives a hometown discount because the bar will surely be raised for non-quarterbacks, particularly edge rushers, this offseason. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has plenty of ammunition to top Jefferson after winning the receiving triple crown last season by simultaneously leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. Presumably, the acquiring team or the Browns will be extending Garrett’s contract as his existing deal at $25 million per year is outdated. The Raiders placated a disgruntled Maxx Crosby last year by giving him a $5 million raise when he had three years left on his contract. An extension will likely be necessary to keep Crosby happy. Also, 2024 NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson and Watt are in contract years with the Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers respectively. Watt’s 2021 extension made him the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback.
The more time that passes without Parsons having a new contract in place as his peers get paid, the greater the chance that his frustrations with a lack of progress prompt him to seek his full market value. If this happens, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Parsons to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback, whatever that may be.
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Author: Joel Corry
February 19, 2025 | 6:00 pm
