Micah Parsons puts his money where his mouth is in a move that’ll earn major respect from Cowboys Nation ahead of 2025 season
Will the future $200 million man show up or not? That was always the question surrounding the Dallas Cowboys on Monday as they kicked off voluntary workouts ahead of the 2025 NFL season at The Star in Frisco, Texas. After all, superstar defender Micah Parsons is expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history. With […]
Will the future $200 million man show up or not?
That was always the question surrounding the Dallas Cowboys on Monday as they kicked off voluntary workouts ahead of the 2025 NFL season at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
After all, superstar defender Micah Parsons is expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history. With no deal in place, the reality is he probably shouldn't have shown up to voluntary workouts. But Parsons has proven many times he's different on the field, now he's doing it off of it: He is in attendance for the start of the voluntary offseason program, per Todd Archer from ESPN.
Parsons has missed voluntary workouts in the past for personal reasons and while preparing in alternative ways. Last year, he showed up late to OTAs and explained it was about recovery for him.
"I’m just looking at it as time for my body to heal," Parsons said last year. "I’m an undersized rusher who gets banged up every year. I’m just letting my body heal, I’m just trying to grow, strengthen and really just get better for the year.”
For him to show up in spite of contract negotiations—to the voluntary phase of the offseason no less—is a sign that he means it when he talks about taking on a bigger leadership role now that he's a veteran in the locker room. Parsons said in December he planned on being around even without a new contract and now he's putting his money where his mouth is.
“That’s what Micah’s talked about, the more you’re around, the more chance you have to influence guys," Schottenheimer told reporters at the Annual League Meeting earlier in the month. “We expect him to be around.”
Parsons being around is particularly significant because of the Cowboys having a new defensive coordinator in town. While Mike Zimmer's defensive scheme closely resembled what Dallas was doing with Dan Quinn, Matt Eberflus is likely going to shake things up in a larger way. Having the top defender on the team be around early in the year should help that transition go smoothly.
Though the Cowboys are in no rush to get it done, Parsons is likely to receive a contract extension this year. The front office took things to the finish line last year with both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb and they've proven many more times in the past they're not in the business of getting ahead of the curve.
But there's no question Parsons is putting the ball in their court. Early in the year, he said he wanted to seek an expedited deal to help out in free agency. It didn't happen. Now, he's making sure the front office doesn't use its platform to criticize him for not being around.
Major respect to No. 11. He shouldn't be there. But he's taking a no-nonsense approach.
