One Question Remains As Jerry Jones Compares Micah Parsons to Deion Sanders and Contract ‘Commonplace’ originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Dallas Cowboys have a lineage of superstar talent that have worn the star in the franchise’s 65-year history. Heading into his 36th season in charge, owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been fortunate to witness many of those premier athletes, while also relishing in team glory, during his tenure.
One of those all-world figures in the modern era, Micah Parsons, is due for a massive contract extension. One that could pay him more than any Cowboy in history, outside of current quarterback Dak Prescott.
When talking about his situation, Jerry offered a riveting endorsement that stamps his star defensive end in the same conversation as some of the greats of the past.
“I think Micah is as talented, maybe the most talented player we’ve had,” Jones said when asked about his respect for Parsons, an unapologetic and oft opinionated individual.
He compared him to another such player who paired supreme athleticism with a camera-ready personality.
“Deion [Sanders] of course had extraordinary talent,” Jerry added. “But Micah is very talented and he’s very smart. And so, all of that makes for a great asset for the Cowboys. All of that is what it is.”
It’s certainly high praise for Parsons to be mentioned in the same breath as a franchise icon and Pro Football Hall of Famer – whether it’s about on-field performance, media excellence, or both.
Sanders was brought to Dallas in perhaps one of Jones’ most aggressive, high-risk and high-reward free agency signings. And it paid off. Now Parsons’ – and in turn, the Cowboys’ – future similarly weighs in the balance.
But this fight is a lot easier with him already being a Cowboy … or at least it should be that way.
Parsons is currently inactive at Cowboys training camp, first citing back stiffness, but now more as a “hold in” until his ongoing contract negotiations get resolved with a new deal.
Jones knows how this game works, and he doesn’t sound too peeved about Micah’s inactivity … however, the billionaire owner couldn’t help but throw a sarcastic, yet backhanded shot at his All-Pro pass rusher (again). Jerry’s quote to FOX 4’s Mike Doocy comes in reaction to Stephen Jones’ “he’s got to want to be paid” statement about Parsons.
“Micah, first of all, does want to get paid. He’s getting paid!” Jerry said. “He gets about $20 million right now. And that’s a pretty easy $20 million standing there watching practice…
“But seriously, I don’t have a lot to say about it. This is pretty commonplace.”
Jerry added that it’s not disappointing that Parsons is sitting out of camp, admitting “I don’t want him to get hurt”.
“All of that is out there. We’ll see where his goes, but this is commonplace. It’s commonplace around the NFL and it’s commonplace here.”
Holdouts, hold-ins, and general contract disputes, yes, are commonplace. But when a deal is inching toward NFL-record territory – with CowboysCountry.com reporting Parsons’ deal could include $200 million and $40 million APY – you’d think a little extra intentionality and urgency would be shown.
“We’ve just got to realize what we’re doing here,” Jones said. “And what we’re doing is trying to take the resources that we have under the rules, and we’re trying to allocate it to get the best guys out there at the same time.
“But Micah is fine,” Jerry said with a smirk.
This is all nice and fun, but it’s a reminder that hardly changes things in the minds of viewers. We know how talented Micah is, but the fact remains that he is missing valuable practice time in Oxnard and there is a simple fix. No amount of publicity or attention or speculation is going to calm those wishes to get him out there.
It leads Cowboys Nation to, once again, ask the question:
Why is this taking so long?
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.