It’s 1989. Jerry Jones trades Herschel Walker for a king’s ransom, stockpiling picks that built a dynasty. Fast-forward 36 years—Deja vu?—as another generational talent, Micah Parsons, demands an exit. But hold the panic, Cowboys Nation. According to SI’s Albert Breer, this drama’s third act might still close with Parsons in silver and blue.
Breer, dissecting the chaos with Clarence Hill Jr. at camp, offered perspective: “It’s definitely different from the last week they’ve had… It’s just every player handles it a little bit differently. For one reason or another, it seems like when they get to camp, talks stall.” But here’s the twist:
Dallas’ front office treats contract talks like the last season of Game of Thrones—brutal, drawn-out, yet somehow inevitable. “This is still something I think is going to get done. It just could take a while… If you look at the history—how long it took Zack [Martin], how long it took CeeDee [Lamb], how long it took Dak [Prescott]—I think in all those cases, they were already back in Dallas.”
SI’s Albert Breer thinks a deal between Micah Parsons and the Cowboys still gets done…it could just take awhile@clarencehilljr | @AlbertBreer | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/3J6SKvp5lQ
— DLLS Cowboys (@DLLS_Cowboys) August 5, 2025
The pattern? Dallas treats deadlines like optional equipment. Remember Dak Prescott’s deal? Inked the morning of Week 1. CeeDee Lamb? A summer-long stare-down. Zack Martin? A holdout resolved only when pads started crackling.
Parsons’ frustration isn’t just about cash. It’s personal. Jerry Jones excluded his agent, David Mulugheta, from negotiations, insisting on back-channel talks. When Parsons called Jones in March to discuss “leadership,” Jones pivoted to contract parameters—claiming a handshake deal existed. Mulugheta’s calls? Ghosted.
Parsons’ social media missile laid it bare: “I no longer want to be held to closed door negotiations without my agent present… I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line.” Teammates feel it. CeeDee Lamb tweeted: “Never fails dawg. Just pay the man what you owe em.”
The Offer: A reported 5-year, $206 M deal (~$41 M/year) sits in limbo. Parsons wants to reset the non-QB market (TJ Watt’s $41 M AAV is the bar).
The Standoff: No talks since March. Parsons’ trade request submitted. Jerry Jones insists “no offer exists” and Parsons “took it off the table.”
The Subplot: Jones questioned Parsons’ durability, noting he missed 4 games in 2024. Parsons fired back: “I’m not here to please another grown man.”
Breer, though, sees Dallas’ pattern: delay, deflect, then deal. A look at recent history, and how they’ve all wound up. Parsons’ leverage? Historic production.
Parsons’ leverage play: Sacks, staredowns, and a bet on Jerry’s timeline
With 52.5 sacks in 63 games, he’s on a Reggie White trajectory—only White had more sacks in his first four seasons. Four straight Pro Bowls, two All-Pro nods—anchoring a defense that lost DeMarcus Lawrence yet registered the NFL’s highest pressure rate (27.3%) since 2021, per PFF. At 26, he’s a franchise cornerstone.
Trading him? Unthinkable. Yet Denver looms as a suitor; Peter King notes their ‘ownership has the money’ to make it happen. As Hill Jr noted, Parsons’ approach defies precedent: “I’ve never seen a guy ask for a trade, demand a trade, and then show up at camp…” Meanwhile, Breer noted, “It’s definitely a little different.”
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys Sep 22, 2024 Arlington, Texas, USA Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons 11 looks on prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium. Arlington AT&T Stadium Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAndrewxDiebx 20240922_bd_da2_627
Jerry Jones thrives on drama. “There’s one guy who sets the pace… If that guy doesn’t want to pick up the pace, then you are where you are,” Breer delivered the bottom line. Parsons’ camp presence is telling. Unlike Terry McLaurin’s holdout-then-hold-in, Parsons reported—uniform on, drills skipped. “The McLaurin situation is somewhat similar… but in this situation, they haven’t been talking. That’s what makes this one a little bit different.” He’s betting on his value. Jones is betting on his timeline.
Why the disconnect? Hill nails it: “One thing I’ve always said is that Jerry has done a number of deals, going back to ’89 — oil and gas, the art of the deal. He likes to negotiate. It’s a sport. It’s a game. Because he already knows, ‘I’m going to get something done.’ For a player, it’s personal. This is the first time they really get to negotiate. This is the first time — say, Micah’s been in the league four years — the first three years, the organization loves him, fans love him. Now, this is the first time you’re at odds with the organization over a contract.”
Clarence Hill Jr further added, “Every little joke comes across as a slight. Like the ‘Zeke who?’ — it all comes across as a slight. It’s personal for the player. Jerry’s just having fun.’” Breer agrees: “Everybody’s dream that plays here is to get to the NFL, obviously. But then the next dream after that is to get life-changing money. That’s the point where Zeke was at, where CeeDee was at last summer…where you’re making life-changing money, so it can be a little bit of a tense time for a player.”
Letting Parsons walk would crater fan trust and defensive identity. Franchise-tagging him in 2026 (~$45M) costs more than extending him now. The Precedent? Prescott, Lamb, and Martin all signed after campfireworks. The market? Crystal clear, per Breer: “Myles Garrett got $40M, T.J. Watt $41M. Parsons is north of there… Waiting for Aidan Hutchinson? No. The market’s the market.” Hill adds: “Just pick up the phone! Baseline is $41M…$42M? $45M?”
Parsons’ camp attendance insinuates that he’s still playing the long game and Jones craves the spotlight. As Breer reveals: “Jerry likes the drama. He’s been open about that… This ‘professional wrestling’ element keeps the Cowboys a daily story.”
Dallas’ legacy is written in late-summer standoffs. Lamb got paid. Dak got paid. Martin got paid. Parsons? As Breer hinted, this soap opera’s ending might be closer than the plot suggests. The Cowboys don’t rebuild or reload… they renegotiate. And history says they’ll blink just before the season kicks off. After all, in Jerry’s world, the best stories need a little suspense.
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