No surprise that we are sitting on the brink of the opening of Cowboys training camp, and the team still has an enormous outstanding contract situation that figures to weigh over the entire opening to the summer workouts, and perhaps even deep into camp. Last year it was both CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott. This year, it is superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons.
There’s no doubt that Parsons is among the best–if not THE best–edge rusher in the league. The Cowboys will have to pay him as such, and waiting to get it done, after Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Danielle Hunter and TJ Watt all pushed the price tag higher, has only made things worse for Dallas.
Parsons is expected to show up at training camp when it opens on Tuesday, though it remains unclear if he will participate in practices with the team until the contract gets done. In the meantime, the Cowboys are clearly looking for depth at his position. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “The #Cowboys are working out several free agent pass rushers ahead of camp, including Jesse Luketa, Kameron Cline and James Houston, per sources.”
Cowboys Seeking Depth
All three players have similarities to Parsons in that they were linebacker-edge rusher combo players, though of course, none is close to Parsons, talent-wise. And in reality, the Cowboys are not expecting to need a player to replace Parsons, just one to approximate him on the practice field and, perhaps, stick on the 53-man roster as a reserve.
Luketa is the best of the bunch, having played three seasons with the Cardinals after he was drafted in the seventh round in 2022. He has played in 31 games in his career and last season, notched four tackles for a loss and 3.0 sacks in Arizona.
Cline has played just six games in four years with the Colts and Bills, while Houston, a sixth-rounder in 2022, has bounced between linebacker and end with the Lions and Browns. He played 11 games in 2024 and registered a sack.
Micah Parsons: Ownership Is ‘Making it Drag Out’
As for Parsons, what began as an amicable process has gotten increasingly tense. Speaking on a WWE podcast this weekend, Parsons took a shot at the Cowboys and the lack of progress on a deal.
“We obviously wanted to get that done early, we wanted that relief off our backs,” Parsons said. “Obviously, ownership is always gonna make it drag out, make it more complicated than it has to be. Lack of communication, from that standpoint. But I always just say, God has me this far. He ain’t done with me yet, so I just keep working, keep going. And when it come, I’m going to be ready.”
Earlier in the offseason, Parsons was angered when owner Jerry Jones indicated he did not need to include Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, in the process.
“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, via The Athletic, at the NFL’s annual league meetings this spring. “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.”
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