When you think of Micah Parsons, loyalty isn’t really a question, is it? Since the day he put on that Cowboys jersey in 2021, he’s been more dependable than anyone out there. On the field? Unstoppable. Off the field? Just as committed. While other vets skipped voluntary OTAs this spring, Parsons was there, helmet on, putting in the work. No drama, no ego. Just a guy who’s ride-or-die for that star on his helmet. Someone in the front office doesn’t seem to notice that. But here we are, in the thick of 2025 training camp, and the whispers around Micah aren’t about his performance or health, but something deeper. Something more personal. From inside the Cowboys’ front office came a comment that challenged what Micah has spent years building.
Micah Parsons has bled silver and blue since he was drafted in 2021. Four Pro Bowls. Two All-Pro nods. Over 50 sacks in just four years. This wasn’t just a guy filling a role; he became one. For fans, his loyalty was never a question. But in a recent interview, Jerry Jones‘ son, Stephen Jones, questioned the one thing Micah is loved for: his commitment.
“We don’t agree on that. We don’t drag deals out,” he said. Instead, “We do deals when there’s an opportunity to do a deal. Certainly, no one knows what goes on internally with a particular negotiation. Sometimes players and agents aren’t ready to pull the trigger until they see other cards played,” he said. Is that fair? We don’t think so. Let’s be real: raising eyebrows at Micah Parsons just because he’s not sprinting to sign a team-friendly deal? That’s a stretch.
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan on how they handle their top players’ contract negotiations: “I don’t think there is a pattern here.”
On if the Cowboys drag out deals to get engagement from the media: “We don’t agree on that. We don’t drag deals out. We do deals when…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 29, 2025
He’s not ghosting the team, not skipping practices, not making headlines for the wrong reasons. He’s there. On the field. Leading by example. Coaching up the young guys. Blowing up plays like it’s Week 10, not training camp. That’s what commitment looks like. But expecting him to take a discount just because he’s always done right by the team? Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But for Jones, “….with guys who are homegrown here, and we feel like they want to be here. I felt like Dak wanted to be here. I always felt like CeeDee wanted to be here.” It’s clear that Jerry Jones’ son thinks Parsons does not belong to that loyalty category.
But his fans know that Parsons wouldn’t take a penny less than what he’s worth. Not after what he saw in Pittsburgh. Just last week, the Steelers backed up the Brinks truck for TJ Watt. A record-breaking extension worth $123 million. Huge move. Watt’s a monster and absolutely deserves it. But let’s not act like Micah Parsons is chilling in his shadow. If anything, Parsons has outpaced Watt’s early career in key areas. More pressure. More forced turnovers. Certainly more chaos, snap to snap. So, can you really blame him for looking at that number and thinking, yeah… mine should be at least that?
And Watt is 30. Micah hasn’t even reached his ceiling yet, and he’s already the best in the league in his position. He’s not draining the Cowboys‘ front office; he’s matching the bar that’s already been set. And honestly, with what he brings every Sunday, who’s gonna argue he hasn’t earned it?
Loyalty and respect are a two-way street. And after Stephen’s recent jab at Micah? Respect is likely thrown out of the window.
Why the Dak Prescott Jab doesn’t hold up
Jones didn’t just challenge Micah’s loyalty. He paralleled his situation to Dak Prescott’s to further the lack of commitment claims. The quote: “What we’re not going to do is go out and do something that’s not responsible in terms of just in the name of getting a deal done one month earlier, go do it and pay the guy another $5 million of your cap space. Especially when you’re dealing, in our particular case, internally with guys who are homegrown here, and we feel like they want to be here. I felt like Dak wanted to be here,” was the proof.
Dak’s situation? Totally different ballgame. He’s the QB: the golden ticket. No matter how long those negotiations dragged (and yeah, they definitely dragged), Dak always had leverage. He was the face of the franchise, the guy Jerry Jones would never let walk. It wasn’t if a deal would get done, it was always about when and for how much.
And sure enough, in March 2024, Prescott locked in a four-year, $240 million monster deal, making him the highest-paid QB that offseason. No drama about his worth, no second-guessing from the front office. It was business. With Micah? It’s starting to feel a little more personal.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA NFC Wild Card Playoff-San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys, Jan 16, 2022 Arlington, Texas, USA Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones meets with outside linebacker Micah Parsons 11 prior to the NFC Wild Card playoff football game against the San Francisco 49ers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports, 16.01.2022 15:08:53, 17516824, NPStrans, San Francisco 49ers, NFL, Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones, AT&T Stadium, TopPic, Dallas Cowboys PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKevinxJairajx 17516824
Micah Parsons, on the other hand? He plays a position where the leash is shorter, and the negotiations get a whole lot nastier. Edge rushers, no matter how elite, don’t get quarterback treatment when it’s time to talk dollars. The grace period is shorter. So yeah, of course he isn’t rushing to a deal. Why would he when he just saw what happened with Watt?
And come on, Micah Parsons isn’t pulling any diva moves here. He’s not holding out. He’s not throwing shade in interviews. And he’s not pulling a social media cleanse or sending cryptic tweets. He’s performing. In 2024, per PFF, Parsons ranked 5th in total pressures (70) and among the top 3 in pass-rush win rate (20.2% ) while playing through a lower-body injury down the stretch. If that’s not loyalty and commitment, perhaps his fans now need a new meaning for those words in the dictionary.
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