As a blockbuster contract extension looms, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons says his focus remains on the field, not on the negotiating table.
The Cowboys’ All-Pro is entering the final year of his rookie contract, playing on a fifth-year option that will pay him $21.32 million. He is eligible for an extension that is expected to make him the highest-paid defender in the NFL.
Parsons, 26, has established himself as one of the league’s premier impact players on the defensive side of the ball. Through his first three seasons, Parsons has notched 40.5 sacks and can impact the game from multiple positions.
The Cowboys are set to report for training camp on July 21. Parsons’ contract will be a topic of conversation, but he’s not making that his focus.
“I just work harder. Like, to me, I look at it like if people don’t see your value, you don’t cry and sit down. You just work harder. You got to show people your value. I just think that’s, the difference, Like I go, okay, bet, and I just work,” Parsons said after his camp on Tuesday. “What really drives me is greatness. I want to be great, and to be great, you have to show up and do the work.”
Micah Parsons on Cowboys Contract: I’m Going to Get Mine
Parsons also isn’t worried about keeping tabs on the contracts of his peers. Myles Garrett set the bar this offseason with a four-year, $160 million extension with the Browns, making him the NFL’s highest-paid defender. Meanwhile, Bengals star Trey Hendrickson and Steelers sack artist T.J. Watt are among the other top edge rushers eyeing big paydays of their own.
“I’m just going to get mine no matter what,” Parsons said about Garrett’s contract affecting his market. “You know what I mean? Like, the markets change every year. Their salary cap went up, like, another 18% this year. So, if you want to know contracts, all the contracts are based off of percentage. Like, each player, a high-paid player, takes a percentage of the salary cap. So, it’s not really the number. It goes off by the salary cap.
“Their numbers got nothing to do with mine, and my numbers ain’t got nothing to do with them.”
Cowboys Star Micah Parsons Not Plotting to Hold Out
Parsons has shown no indication that he will hold out of training camp. He has been present at the team’s offseason programs and said it’s crucial for him to be in the mix. Dallas has a new coaching staff led by Brian Schottenheimer. The defense will also look different with Matt Eberflus stepping in as defensive coordinator.
“I’ll still be around,” Parsons said of his training camp plans in April. “For me, I’ve still gotta learn a playbook and I’m not so much of an iPad person where I can just keep learning. I’ve gotta walk through it. Maybe it’s so much I might not be on the field part of it, but I’ll be there learning, so that way I’m at least getting prepared to be ready for Week 1.”
If recent negotiations with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott are any indication, Parsons may have to wait a bit longer for his extension. Still, it appears inevitable that the team will eventually lock him in as a cornerstone for the long-term future.
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