FRISCO – Seems like there’s always one player – one contract – that dominates the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason. If it’s not Dak Prescott it’s CeeDee Lamb or …
Front and center, Micah Parsons.
The perennial All-Pro pass-rusher is the player that for the next couple of months will get the breathless analysis and constant updates surrounding his contract situation. Some days we’ll get hints from owner Jerry Jones. Others it will be from Parsons himself on his seemingly endless stream of platforms.
Nov 20, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) looks on following the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images
Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images
The latest opinion comes from the Cowboys’ new head coach, Brian Schottenheimer,
“The business of the NFL has become so big and again (negotiating with Parsons) it’s a two-way street,” Schottenheimer said at this week’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. “Micah is an elite young football player that has barely scratched the surface. There’s negotiations and sometimes those negotiations take time, [so] it’s our job to focus on the guys that are there. It’s part of the business.”
Parsons is about to begin the fifth year on his rookie contract and signing him to an extension this offseason is one of the team’s biggest priorities. Not getting a deal done or trading their defensive cornerstone would be a strong signal toward rebuilding at a time when Prescott and Lamb were sign to lucrative extensions just a year ago.
The Cowboys anticipate extending defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa soon and will consider extending additional in-house players set to hit free agency, including cornerback Jourdan Lewis. But Parsons is the biggest domino of Dallas’ offseason.
After a infamously “quiet” Cowboys free agency last year after Jerry’s “all in” proclamations, vice president Stephen Jones said this week he hopes to be “selectively aggressive” in 2025 free agency deals.
“We’re always going to start with our guys,” Schottenheimer said. “We know them, right? We’ve got history with them. We’ve developed those guys. We understand their strengths, their weaknesses, what they bring to the table from a culture standpoint. So, again, it all depends on how things go. It’s a very competitive business. It’s a very competitive time of year.”
