It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys dragged their feet on extending their star players over the past few seasons. What should’ve been relatively straightforward extensions for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb turned into protracted negotiations that resulted in no reward whatsoever for the team. Those two deals, in particular, are case and point for why teams should be proactive in signing their cornerstone pieces as soon as they’re able: the market rate at every position is increasing rapidly alongside the NFL salary cap.
Instead of learning from this mistake, the Cowboys appear ready to make it again with another star: Micah Parsons, who is among the NFL’s best pass rushers and also provides unique linebacker versatility when needed. Parsons should be one of those “slam dunk” extensions: a no-brainer star player, entering his prime, and coming off multiple years of elite production. Parsons is about as reliable as they come and would instantly become the most coveted pass rusher available if he were to hit the open market.
Parsons was eligible for an extension in 2024, but in the midst of protracted negotiations for Prescott and Lamb, he simply wasn’t in the Cowboys’ plans at the time. Dallas instead picked up Parsons’ fifth-year option – which itself is a pretty big payday at $24 million – and no movement was made on an extension throughout the season. The Cowboys had another opportunity to extend Parsons over the past two months, another chance to get out ahead of the massive record-setting deals that were coming for Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby.
The Cowboys didn’t seize that opportunity, and it’s likely to cost them significantly in the long run.
The previous record-holder among pass rushers was the 49ers’ Nick Bosa, whose deal came in at a hefty $34 million per year back in September of 2023. If the Cowboys had been proactive with Parsons’ deal and signed him to an extension back in 2024, it’s possible Parsons could’ve been signed for a slight increase to that number. Something like $35 million would’ve been a reasonable raise given the cap increase. Even getting the Parsons deal done during the 2024 season or prior to the start of 2025 free agency would’ve helped keep the number in that range.
Instead, the top of the market was completely reset with the Cleveland Browns finally reaching an agreement on a long-term extension with Myles Garrett. Garrett’s trade demands made national news earlier in the offseason, but the Browns solved that issue by giving him a four-year extension at an incredible $40 million per year.
We also saw massive deals go out for two other top pass rushers. The Raiders extended Maxx Crosby at $35.5 million per season, and the Texans added another year onto Danielle Hunter’s contract to bring his yearly rate to just top Crosby’s at $35.6 million per year.
The Crosby deal is a great example of what the Cowboys probably could’ve extended Micah Parsons at prior to 2025 free agency. Now? $35.5 million probably isn’t even the starting point of negotiations.
That start point is much likelier to be Garrett’s $40 million number. And why shouldn’t it be? A clear case can be made for Parsons to demand more than Garrett. Parsons is four years younger and offers versatility that Garrett just doesn’t have. Sure, Garrett has the longer track record of success, but how much does that really matter in this context? Not enough to convince Parsons to take a discount.
The expectation is that the Cowboys will work out a deal for Micah Parsons before the start of the 2025 season. As much as other teams would love for him to be available via trade, we all know that’s a fantasy. Dallas would be foolish to let Parsons out of the building. But the team’s failure to proactively address Parsons’ future is now going to cost them, to the tune of at least $5 million per year over the length of his deal. Assuming a four-year extension, that’s $20M of salary cap and cash flushed down the drain.
And for what? There’s no argument to be made here, like the one that was made for Dak Prescott, that you still want to “wait and see” if he’s worth the cost. Parsons clearly is worth it. It’s certainly not a lack of cap flexibility, since Parsons already has a very high cap hit in 2025 thanks to the fifth-year option. If anything, the extension would lower Parsons’ cap hit this season and give the team increased flexibility for other moves.
Instead, fans are left wondering what exactly the front office in Dallas is doing… again. There is no real logic in delaying an extension for Parsons in 2024, and and the same goes for not extending him prior to 2025 free agency. If there’s one thing that’s become abundantly clear over the years since the COVID crisis created a temporary cap squeeze, it’s that the salary cap, and likewise player contracts, are starting to skyrocket every single year.
The best teams have learned this, and have started to get out ahead of their biggest deals well before they are forced to act. Extending a player with two years left on their current contract used to be a rarity. That’s no longer the case, because there’s value in locking down your stars as early as possible. The players like the added security and guarantees, and it helps the team with future planning and cap flexibility.
So why aren’t the Cowboys adapting along with the rest of the NFL? Why are we now looking at two straight offseasons of Dallas sitting on their hands and letting the rest of the league dictate their contract terms, instead of setting the market for themselves? Cowboys fans have their own ideas on that answer, so let’s hear your answer in the comments, but the way the team operates is incredibly frustrating.
