It’s now been four full weeks since Micah Parsons officially requested a trade away from the Dallas Cowboys. His reasoning centered on his belief that owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys brass were not negotiating in good faith, attempting to corner him into a deal without his agent present.
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Since that request, both Parsons and Jones have made public comments, but the most reliable reporting suggests they have not actually had any direct contact, even though they were doing interviews on the practice field just feet from each other earlier this month.
The latest updates in the Parsons saga are just as discouraging as anything from the past few weeks. Parsons has reportedly been dealing with back tightness. And after undergoing a clean MRI with the Cowboys, he’s now seeking a second opinion, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater.
“He is going to get a second opinion on his back… He has been dealing with what he describes as back tightness. They did an MRI on him on Sunday, he came back clear. The Cowboys have three days off, they get back to practice on Friday. And it looks like he is seeking some sort of resolution here,” Slater reported.
As “Jerry keeps reminding us,” Parsons is still under contract for the 2025 season. And another thing working against Parsons’ position is the fact that he hasn’t been franchise tagged by the team yet. That means they could theoretically keep him against his will for three more seasons.
And as Slater puts it, “Ultimately, regardless of what we do, whether it be a trade at this point, or whether it be them having him remain on this roster, figuring out if they want to tag him at the end of the season. Jerry keeps reminding us he is, in fact, under contract.”
But it seems like Parsons is going to attempt to use this back issue as an excuse for missing more mandatory team activities like practices, and perhaps even games. However, if he does not get a proper medical prognosis, the team can fine him for all his contract is worth.
“But if there is not a medical diagnosis for that back, and he decides that he’s going to sit out these games, he’s looking at over a million dollars a week of game checks he’ll be missing out on. So, we wait,” Slater added.
Parsons might have a small back issue, but it’s highly likely this is also a negotiating tactic. And fans are seeing right through it. “Sooo Micah is trying to purposefully get a diagnosis so he doesn’t lose money if he decides to sit out,” said one on Twitter. “Nothing a $45M AAV contract can’t fix,” joked another on Reddit, to which another responded: “Jerry gonna seek out a 2nd opinion on that.”
“Terry McLaurin just discovered a miracle cure for his ankle. Bet it works on backs too,” said another, pointing out a similar tactic used by Washington Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin during his own holdout and trade request saga. McLaurin ended up signing a three-year, $96 million extension recently.
And on top of that, even that mess of a front office in Cincinnati was able to get 2024 sack king Trey Hendrickson back in the fold, not by giving him an extension, but a $14 million raise that pays him $30 million in 2025 and allows him to leave next offseason. The Cowboys might consider taking notes.
