Cowboys Urged to Make Contract Decision on Young Star Amid Micah Parsons Drama

The Dallas Cowboys continue to make questionable decisions with their Micah Parsons plan, as many have continued to wonder what the exact plan even is moving forward. 

Parsons is clearly a top-three edge rusher in the NFL, and there’s even a strong argument to be made that he’s the best. Unfortunately, Jerry Jones hasn’t figured things out, and some Cowboys fans are starting to be a bit worried after T.J. Watt’s latest deal. 

At the very least, this raised his price. 

When looking at players the Cowboys could extend outside of Parsons, The Sporting News recently urged Jones not to make the same mistake that he’s making with Parsons with youngster Tyler Smith. 

Smith is one of the better offensive linemen in the NFL, and should be a staple on the Cowboys roster for much of the next decade if things go as planned. 

“Guard Tyler Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler and a 2023 second-team All-Pro, is one of the best offensive linemen in football. He’s proficient in the pass and run game, has found success at left tackle and (more so) left guard, and outside of a minor penalty issue, is incredibly polished for a young lineman.

“Smith is a successful first-round pick. The Cowboys have already accepted his fifth-year option. The time is now to sign him to a long-term extension, whether the price surpasses fellow left guard Landon Dickerson ($21 million per year) or right guard Trey Smith ($23.5 million),” they wrote. 

Which Contract Negotiation Should Be the Priority?

While Smith will eventually get his money, Parsons is the bigger deal at the moment. 

According to Jones, the Dallas Cowboys have had decent talks with the Penn State product, noting that he spent five to six hours with Parsons, just having discussions. 

Ultimately, given that he said that at the NFL’s annual meeting this past spring, it’s tough to say his words mean too much, considering a deal has yet to happen. 

“I know that I’ve spent five, six hours with (Parsons) myself and had a lot of discussions. Most of the issues are in agreement, and I’ve discussed it all,” Jones said in a video with The Athletic. “We obviously don’t have an agreement relative to a new contract. Micah is under contract. So we’ll see how that goes. It’s not uncommon for me to visit directly with players, and in this particular case, that’s what I’m doing.”

Does Parsons Benefit From Waiting to Sign?

Parsons can’t be too upset that the Dallas Cowboys aren’t paying him. While he wants to get the money he deserves, his price is only going to continue to rise after the deals to Watt and Myles Garrett, as well as the expectation that Trey Hendrickson will be paid by the Cincinnati Bengals sometime in the near future. 

With all this information, when looking at what his potential deal could be, NBC Sports Pro Football Talk believes it could start at $45 million. 

“The question is whether Parsons will set the new standard by a little — or by a lot. Will he get $41.1 million? $42 million? $45 million? More? Our guess is it’ll be closer to $45 million, if not more than that. He’s well younger than the edge rushers who have gotten to the $40 million mark (Watt and Myles Garrett). And, again, the longer the Cowboys wait, the more expensive the final deal likely will be.

“It’s actually good for the Cowboys and Parsons that Watt’s deal was done. Parsons and his agents may have wanted to wait for Watt before doing a deal. Even though Parsons might exceed Watt and Garrett by a significant margin, the Watt deal remained a key data point for Parsons,” they wrote.

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