Cowboys can't afford to let Parsons' contract dispute linger into season

Jerry Jones is known for dragging contract negotiations so it's no surprise Micah Parsons is just the latest Dallas Cowboys star player to have to wait on a new deal. Dak Prescott had to play on the franchise tag in 2020 after being unable to reach agreement on an extension, and he didn't get another new deal last season until hours before the Week 1 opener. Jones eventually caved and made Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history with an average of $60 million per year. CeeDee Lamb held out into late August last year following an All-Pro season before Jones gave him a four-year, $136 million deal. All-Pro guard Zack Martin held out of training camp in 2023 while waiting for a new contract. This is nothing new for Jones. Back when the Cowboys were America's Team, even Emmitt Smith couldn't get paid quickly. The Hall of Fame running back missed the first two games of the 1993 season because of a contract dispute. He eventually signed a $13.6 million deal — most for a running back at the time — after the Cowboys started 0-2 without him but they still ended up winning the Super Bowl. Jones mentioned that when training camp started. That's not a good sign that Parsons will get what he wants sooner than later. Jones operates on his own time and there's plenty of ego involved. He's been a unique owner since he bought the Cowboys in 1989 and named himself general manager. Hiring Jimmy Johnson to replace Tom Landry was Jones' best decision. Both men are in the Hall of Fame for it and the Cowboys won three Super Bowls under Jones. But they haven't reached an NFC championship game in 30 years and they won't get through a tough NFC East without Parsons, the two-time All-Pro edge rusher and generational talent. The Philadelphia Eagles are defending Super Bowl champions. The Washington Commanders faced the Eagles in the conference title game. Dallas has a big challenge trying to compete in the division and they'll need Parsons to have a chance. Jones hasn't even talked to his agent, David Mulugheta. Jones has said he had direct conversations with Parsons in the spring over a contract extension that would almost certainly make him the highest-paid defender in NFL history. By waiting for Myles Garrett (4 years, $160 million) and T.J. Watt (3 years, $123 million) to sign new contracts, Parsons is in line to make more than $41 million per year. The Cowboys waited to sign Prescott and were forced to give him more money than any other player because he was the next quarterback in line. Jones' patience has a negative impact on his checkbook. Parsons, who is a hold-in at camp, requested a trade last week. Jones blew it off. "We have no intentions of trading Micah, and that's part of the negotiations," Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones told the team's website. "That's just the nature of negotiations. I think any player that's holding out for a contract – I think I've read around the league where they've all requested to be traded. So that's part of it. We have no intention of trading Micah. He's right here in camp." Business is business but there seems like there's some tension in this relationship that won't be erased until Jones and the Cowboys give in. Jerry Jones isn't certain Parsons will play in Week 1 against the Eagles. "A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?" he said. Parsons is scheduled to make $24 million in the final season of his five-year rookie contract and could be franchise tagged in 2026 without an extension. Prescott is confident a deal will get done because he's been through it. "I can say from experience that it's just frustrating," Prescott said. "I hate that he's going through it, but as I've told him, keep handling things the way that you are, and I believe that he should be paid." Longtime NFL super-agent Leigh Steinberg, who represents the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, also expressed confidence that Parsons will get his new deal. "Despite the current friction and heightened public spotlight surrounding the Cowboys-Parsons contract deadlock, this situation will ultimately be resolved," Steinberg told the AP. "Micah Parsons is simply too valuable to the franchise - a generational talent who's irreplaceable on the field and central to the team's identity. The Cowboys, for all the noise, are ultimately pragmatic when it comes to retaining cornerstone players. In the end, I expect a deal to get done and for Parsons to enjoy a long, successful career in Dallas." It's just a matter of when and whether Parsons misses any games, which the Cowboys can't afford if they want to be championship contenders. ___ On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here. ____ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL