The Dallas Cowboys have several game-changing players on their roster; however, few are as important as Micah Parsons.
The superstar defender has been among the NFL's top disruptors ever since he was drafted 12th overall in 2021, often requiring double teams to be stopped. Having said that, Parsons is set to play the 2025 campaign on the final year of his rookie contract, meaning that the Cowboys playmaker is looking to sign a major contract extension in the coming months.
Cowboys fans know how drawn-out contract negotiations can be, though, proven by the recent Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb sagas. The last thing Brian Schottenheimer needs is an unnecessary distraction during his first training camp as head coach.
Cowboys News: Brian Schottenheimer Comments on Micah Parsons Contract Negotiations
While attending this week's NFL scouting combine, Schottenheimer was asked about a Parsons extension potentially not being signed until closer to the 2025 season. The Cowboys HC said that he's had "open and honest" conversations with owner Jerry Jones, however, he also made it clear that some of the onus falls on the player.
"Look: The business of the NFL has become so big, and again it's a two-way street," Schottenheimer told Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein. "There's negotiations, and sometimes those negotiations take time. It's our job to focus on the guys that are there."
It isn't hard to read between the lines of what Schottenheimer is saying.
Owners and general managers are often blamed for failing to extend superstar players in a timely manner. Just look at all of the displeasure Jones & Co. had to deal with when they dragged their feet to extend Prescott and Lamb.
At the same time, as Schottenheimer points out, a player can also be blamed for lengthy negotiations. As great as it is to see superstars get the salaries they deserve, some contract requests are unrealistic, making it impossible for the front office to sign a team-friendly deal promptly.
It'll be interesting to see whether Parsons prioritizes himself or the Cowboys first when it comes to negotiations. According to Spotrac, the four-time Pro Bowl disruptor's next contract is projected to pay him $33.7 million annually. While that's a fair amount for a player of his caliber, he could potentially ask for more than that, knowing his worth to the franchise.
At the end of the day, Parsons is a one-of-a-kind player who the Cowboys must pull out all the stops to extend. Since making his NFL debut in 2021, the former Penn State Nittany Lion has gone on to rack up 172 solo tackles, 52.5 sacks, and nine forced fumbles while making four Pro Bowl rosters and earning two All-Pro first-team nods.
With seven months to go until the regular season, the clock is ticking for the Cowboys and Parsons to hammer out an extension. Regardless of whatever the final number looks like, both sides would be wise to finalize a contract before the situation brings unnecessary distractions to training camp.