Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons has requested a trade out of Dallas after no recent movement in contract talks.
Parsons posted a lengthy message on social media on Friday, concluding with a statement that he no longer wants to play for the Cowboys.
“I stayed quiet but again after repeated shots at myself and all the narratives I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys,” he wrote. “My trade request has been submitted to Stephen Jones personally.”
A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who has generated at least a dozen sacks in each of his four seasons, Parsons is an elite pass rusher and a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
The 26-year-old is in the final year of his rookie contract, worth $24.007 million in 2025, which is far below his worth and nearly $17 million below the top of the market for edge rushers.
Parsons has been long overdue for a big-money extension. Despite reporting for offseason workouts and not causing much of a stink for new coach Brian Schottenheimer, he was still waiting as the preseason approached.
Parsons blamed his desire to leave Dallas on the elongated contract negotiations.
“Yes I wanted to be here. I did everything I could to show that I wanted to be a Cowboy and wear the star on my helmet,” he wrote. “I wanted to play in front of the best fans in sports and make this [America's] team once again. The team my pops and I grew up cheering for way up in Harrisburg, PA. Unfortunately I no longer want to be here. 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 for the organization, our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me.”
Parsons said that he’d previously not made a fuss, hoping to get a deal done -- something he’d desired since he was eligible after Year 3. Earlier this offseason, his agent, David Mulugheta, suggested it would be wise to wait until other deals were done -- i.e., Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt -- but Parsons said he preferred not to wait and hoped to engage with the Cowboys brass.
“I knew I would be leaving money on the table, but again I was OK with that,” Parsons wrote. “Again, radio silence as far as my extension. In March I met with [owner] Mr. [Jerry] Jones to talk about leadership. Somehow the conversation turned into him talking contract with me. Yes, I engaged in a back and forth in regards to what I wanted from my contract, but at no point did I believe this was supposed to be a formal negotiation and I informed Mr. Jones afterward my agent would reach out thinking this would get things done.”
Per Parsons, the Cowboys went silent on his agent and refused to negotiate, believing the framework of the deal was in place.
“Up to today, the team has not had a single conversation with my agent about a contract. Not one demand has been made by my agent about money, years or anything else,” he wrote before saying he’d formally requested a trade.
Where do sides go from here?
Money talks. Ultimately, the Cowboys can make amends by ponying up and doing what they should have done long ago: Make Parsons the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL. Unfortunately for Dallas, the price to do so won’t get cheaper -- and it was always going to be higher than Watt’s $41 million per year.
The question is how much more? $45 million per year? $48 million? $50 million?
Dallas still holds leverage. Parsons remains under contract in 2025, and the club can use the franchise tag over the next two years. That’s at least three seasons of team control that the pass rusher can’t escape.
To force a trade, Parsons would have to take nuclear measures. He must be willing to sit out a large chunk of the season, incurring fines and missing checks. He could report to close the season before his contract tolled. However, the Cowboys could use the franchise tag in 2026. The dance would begin again.
Given Parsons' talent, it’s difficult to imagine Jones relenting and trading one of the best -- and most marketable -- talents in the NFL. With the persistent playoff failures hanging overhead, moving Parsons would get them no closer to the Super Bowl they haven’t sniffed in decades.
What might a trade look like?
But if the Cowboys did decide they don’t want another massive contract on the books and would rather play for the future, shipping Parsons out of town would come with a massive haul.
The Oakland Raiders traded Khalil Mack in 2018 to Chicago. The Bears gave up two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick for Mack, a second-round pick, and a conditional fifth-round pick.
That’s probably at least the bare-minimum framework that it would take to pry Parsons out of Dallas. In reality, a deal probably starts with the equivalent of three first-rounders or a combo of first-rounders and quality players in return.
Every team should be interested in adding a star like Parsons to its roster, even if the cost is great -- in terms of trade compensation and a contract. Transcendent talents like Parsons don’t come around often.
Again, it’s hard to fathom Jones parting with Parsons, but crazy things happen every year in the NFL that we don’t see coming.