The Cowboys’ disappointing season has stirred much speculation about the future of the franchise, but owner Jerry Jones adamantly shot down any chance of trading Micah Parsons.
“That’s never been uttered in this organization that we don’t have a future with Micah Parsons,” Jones said on Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan via ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Recent comments from Cowboys executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones snowballed into speculation that the team was considering trading their All-Pro pass rusher.
“Obviously we’re totally all-in on Dak [Prescott] and CeeDee [Lamb],” said Jones via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “but after that, then you still shape things, including Micah [Parsons]. But Micah’s a great player. You don’t do well in this league letting guys like Micah, usually, leave the house.”
That led to a postgame question for Parsons on Sunday regarding a potential offseason trade.
“I understand how that business side goes. There are no hard feelings in this business, whether I’m here or anywhere else,” responded Parsons, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “Obviously I’ve stated that I want to be here. But at the end of the day, I understand the business side.”
While Parsons could earn one of the league’s biggest defensive contracts on the open market, he seems open to less money if that means staying in Dallas.
“So, I would rather just be in the best situation, you know? At that point, I don’t think there’s a big difference between $30 million and $40 million in my eyes, you know?” said Parsons on December 9, per Archer. “At the end of the day,whatever it takes for me just to continue to be a Cowboy until I retire, that’s what I want,” he continued.
The Cowboys picked up Parsons’ fifth-year option in March, keeping him under contract in 2025 for $21.3MM, but a long-term extension would free up more money for Dallas to address other holes on their roster.