The Dallas Cowboys grabbed league headlines on Friday for all the wrong reasons. Fans have long been begging the franchise to pay Micah Parsons what was deserved. Just a year ago, the franchise could've signed Parsons to a deal that would now appear to be a bargain. Recent extensions have majorly reset the market and sent the price for an extension sky high.
However, it isn't just the Cowboys who are stirring up drama in the NFC East with a division rival stepping up to take off a bit of the heat.
The Washington Commanders have made headlines throughout the offseason when it comes to receiver Terry McLaurin.
Despite playing in the NFC Championship behind a rookie quarterback, the star receiver isn't happy. An expiring contract has been a point of contention, with the scenario mirroring the Cowboys and Parsons in many ways. Things appeared to be heading in Washington's direction when McLaurin showed up for camp, and the two sides continued contract negotiations. However, this didn't last very long.
From Inside Training Camp Live: #Commanders WR Terry McLaurin has requested a trade. What now? pic.twitter.com/RCR142dfNW
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 1, 2025
Terry McLaurin Helping Take the Heat Off the Cowboys' Failures
It seems a trade request has become a bit more common as a power play for stars with expiring contracts. Rarely are these requests actually followed through with a deal. Just like the Cowboys, the Commanders would be committing franchise malpractice to trade their star. However, Dallas fans can't help but hope that things continue to devolve and go in the wrong direction. McLaurin is a difficult matchup and a big piece of why the Commanders are ranked ahead of the Cowboys by many pundits heading into the 2025 season.
Losing such a key piece before the year opens the door for Dallas to elbow their way past the young team. Regardless, it at least provides a bit of relief that the Cowboys aren't the only franchise that cannot get out of their own way. McLaurin and Parsons might be different levels of players, but both are stars who should've been paid long before reaching this point. Opting to allow both veterans to play out their current deals has resulted in this mess.
For McLaurin, it is easy to see even more urgency than for Parsons. The receiver is older and likely is facing his best chance of getting paid $25-30 million on a long-term deal. Cowboys fans can't help but hope that the stories play out in different fashions with Parsons extended and McLaurin leaving the NFC East.