Micah Parsons is considering a trade request, but let’s get real about where negotiations with the Cowboys really stand
Negotiations aren’t advancing and the relationship is “deteriorating.”
It started with a couple of midnight posts on social media from Dallas Cowboys stars Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. “One last time,” read Parsons’ message, sharing a picture of him and his teammate. Fans knew something was afoot.
On Thursday morning, it became clear. The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported Parsons’ relationship with the Cowboys has “deteriorated to the point where the star pass rusher is considering drastic measures, which could include a trade request or even a declaration that he is severing his relationship with the team.”
Russini added that the two sides aren’t negotiating at the moment, which fits comments made by both Parsons and the Joneses out of Oxnard, California, where the Cowboys are currently holding training camp.
Now, what does Russini’s report mean? There’s a significant disconnect between Parsons and the team, but are things bad enough for the star to officially request a trade? If so, why is the report not that he requested a trade, and instead a “he’s considering drastic measures” thing? Let’s break it down.
The Cowboys are not trading Micah Parsons
“I think (Micah) deserves to get paid, and going off of the history of what I’ve seen, he will get paid,” quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters earlier in training camp.
The history Prescott is referring to is crystal clear. The Cowboys consistently let negotiations for high-profile players get ugly. Jones used the “Zeke Who?” line that later turned into team merch. The front office exchanged jabs with CeeDee Lamb. Dak Prescott once played under the franchise tag and later got a deal. Last year, ahead of signing his second contract extension, the quarterback went as far as saying he was at peace with potentially playing elsewhere in 2025.
All those deals got done. Parsons’ is likely to get done as well. And even if feelings are complicated between the two parties right now, the front office is extremely unlikely to trade him. Unlike Prescott, who had a clear path to free agency thanks to a no-trade, no-tag clause on his contract, the Cowboys have a firm grip over Parsons’ future.
He’s under contract through 2025, and he could realistically be franchise tagged in back-to-back years, securing him through 2027. That’s a path no team wants to take, as it completely breaks the relationship with the player. However, for the Cowboys, it would probably be better than trading him away.
In other words, this remains one of those situations that Dallas fans have come to know: It takes a couple of days for the Cowboys to finalize these deals, but they drag them out to the finish line. And usually, it gets pretty ugly on the media side of things before it gets better.
Maybe this time it’s different. Maybe this time the Cowboys are truly angry at Parsons for wanting to involve his agent, which would be abusive negotiation behavior, by the way, and would probably even be grounds for legal action per contract requirements.
But if I had to bet? Parsons and the Cowboys are once again playing the media game. And as Prescott said, history shows a deal will get done.
Dallas Cowboys News
‘A very joyous reunion’ – Dak Prescott is excited about potential Cowboys’ signing that seems very likely to happen (Update: It happened)
QB1 is down to make it happen.
