Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons made a bold statement earlier this week by requesting a trade. The Cowboys’ young defensive star has been in negotiations for a new contract this offseason but the two sides have yet to agree on a new deal.
Current and former Cowboys stars have weighed in, showing their support for Parsons. Same goes for fans, who yelled ‘Pay Micah!’ at Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before he spoke to a crowd at Dallas’ training camp in Oxnard, California.
Jones had a message for Cowboys fans Saturday.
‘I would say to our fans, don’t lose any sleep over this,’ he said during training camp practices on Aug. 2.
This is a stark contrast to what Parsons said in a post a day earlier detailing his reasons for a trade request.
‘Yes I wanted to be here. U did everything I could to show that I wanted to be a Cowboys and wear the star on my helmet,’ Parsons said on social media. ‘I wanted to play in front of the best fans in sports and make this Americas team once again… Unfortunately I no longer want to be here. I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present.”
Jones’ comments Saturday are also a slight change from what he said on the eve of training camp.
‘Just because we sign him doesn’t mean we’re going to have him,’ Jones said on July 21. ‘He was hurt six games last year, seriously. We’ve signed, I remember signing a player for the highest-paid at the position in the league and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year in Dak Prescott. So there’s a lot of things you can think about, just as the player does, when you’re thinking about committing and guaranteeing money.’
Parsons missed four games in 2024, not six, and was at least a second-team All-Pro in the three prior years, all of which he was healthy for.
‘Contracts are four, five years, OK?’ Jones continued. ‘There’s a lot of water under the bridge if you step out there and do something in the first two or three. You can get hit by a car. Seriously.’
Parsons was in Oxnard on Aug. 2 when Jones made his latest comments but was not participating in team activities.
The Cowboys had a similar standoff last offseason with Prescott before eventually agreeing to a long-term extension. Parsons is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025.