The contract drama between the Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons is beginning to get juicy. The star edge rusher is reportedly holding in by attending training camp to avoid fines, but he’s not participating in any physical activities. On Wednesday, he got candid with the media, and while discussing the contract standoff, he didn’t shy away from calling out Jerry Jones and his camp.
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For context, Parsons and Jones had reportedly agreed to a deal back in the Spring during a personal meeting with the owner/GM. However, the star defender told the front office to speak to his agent to get it all ironed out.
Since then, nobody has reached out to Parsons or his camp, which Jones confirmed in his latest media session.
He actually sounded passive-aggressive about the situation. “Let’s put it like this: We went over every possible detail you could go over and had [an] agreement,” the 82-year-old told Yahoo Sports.
The owner/GM didn’t stop there. He went on to say that Parsons missed 6 games last season (he missed 4), so no guarantee signing him means that he’ll be available next year. Jones also hinted that the team may have given Trevon Diggs and Terrance Steele contract extensions too early. Then he pointed out that he signed Dak Prescott to the largest quarterback contract ever and that he missed two-thirds of the season.
All in all, it’s not exactly what an owner of a team should be doing. Jones was throwing players under the bus left and right to prove his point. That’s why Parsons seemingly felt the need to defend his honor when addressing the situation.
“There’s not really much movement, man. I want to be here. I’ve always stated I want to be here, but at the end of the day, they sign the checks like always. Let’s see if they want me to be here,” Parsons told reporters at the Dallas Cowboys training camp.
Not only that, but the All-Pro then called out Jones and his son, saying that he wasn’t attending training camp for them, but for his teammates.
“I think they got their own timeline on when they want to get things done. Any given time, they could get things done. So, I don’t think that helps. I’m doing this for myself and my teammates. This isn’t for Jerry, this isn’t for Stephen [Jones],” Parsons said.
Then, to wrap up, here’s what Parsons said on whether he’s getting frustrated amid the dispute: “No, I’m not.”
All in all, it sounds like two people on different pages at the moment. Jones doesn’t sound too happy that Parsons has turned the entire contract dispute into a media debacle. Parsons doesn’t sound too happy about how he and his teammates have been talked about amid the negotiations. Despite what the All-Pro said, the tea has been spilled.
When looking at the situation from afar, famed NFL analyst Rich Eisen could only sympathize with Parsons.
“He’s disappointed,” Eisen said on The Rich Eisen Show of Parsons. “Of course he’s disappointed.”
The sports talk show host then talked about how he has had to go through contract disputes from time to time. So, he knows how hard it can be to get through them. He also referenced other players in the league going through the same thing.
“While you’re going through it, it flat out sucks. There’s no other way to put it. And he’s in that zone right now. McLaurin’s in that zone right now. Trey Hendrickson’s in that zone right now,” Eisen said.
It must be hard operating and working under a contract that you don’t believe is fair. The motivation to come into work has to be at an all-time low in times like those. In that sense, it’s understandable why Parsons, McLaurin, and Hendrickson have all held out or in as they negotiate new extensions.
We’ll keep a close eye on this story in case something goes haywire between Parsons and Jones in the coming days. It’s shaping up to be a classic situation where Jones inevitably pays up way after the fact. If it wasn’t official before, he’s won the award for owner/GM who waits too long to pay his players.
