Agent David Mulugheta Closes in on $2 Billion Milestone as Micah Parsons’ Contract Standoff Intensifies

The quirky manner in which Jerry Jones conducts business saw the longtime Dallas Cowboys owner drag out contract negotiations for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb for no particular reason last year. This offseason, he’s doing the same with Micah Parsons. Until Jones gets things settled, the two-time All-Pro likely won’t be taking the field.

David Mulugheta, Parsons’ agent, loves that his client is fighting for every cent. Mulugheta will have Parsons‘ back to the end. That’s what makes him one of the sports industry’s most effective agents. According to Forbes, Mulugheta has $58 million in maximum commissions.

That’s the seventh-highest figure among North American agents, and the most for any football agent. Only Joel Segal (No. 14: $51 million) and Drew Rosenhaus (No. 17: $45 million) joined him on Forbes’ top 20 list. Mulugheta’s commission figure doesn’t include what he’ll eventually add from Parsons’ deal.

Assuming the linebacker’s pact is the next one Mulugheta completes, it will push him past $2 billion in player contracts. At this moment, he has an estimated $1.93 billion in player contracts to his name, courtesy of Jordan Love and Jalen Ramsey, among others.

Meanwhile, Parsons did show up for Dallas‘ final practice before their Week 1 preseason game last Thursday. His presence today excited fans, but it was merely a show of support for his teammates. He remained on the sidelines with his jersey draped over his shoulders all day.

Mulugheta and Parsons seem to be doing everything they can to hammer out a deal. Jones apparently doesn’t want to play ball because he believes he and Parsons agreed to a contract at a dinner earlier this offseason.

Mulugheta wasn’t present for the meal, though. So Parsons (rightfully) assumed it wasn’t an official negotiation. This led him to request a trade on the first day of August.

Jones has a habit of making things more complicated than they need to be. The result of this whole shenanigan will probably be Parsons signing a massive extension during the week of the Cowboys’ opening contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. And most probably the deal will make him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB.

If that’s the case, Jones will have dominated TV conversation once again without real consequence. However, if this tactic is ever going to bite Jones, it will be with Parsons.

The 26-year-old edge rusher, like Jones, doesn’t operate conventionally. Whether he and Mulugheta elect to continue their relationship with Jones will be one of the season’s biggest stories if he doesn’t end up signing before games begin.