The standstill in negotiations between the Cowboys and star pass rusher Micah Parsons has been centered on a lack of communication between owner Jerry Jones and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta of Athletes First. Jones, in a new interview released on Thursday, indicated that there was at least one tense communication between the Cowboys and Mulugheta.
According to Jones, it happened after he and Parsons met in March and came to an agreement over terms on a new extension that would’ve made him the highest paid non-quarterback, in terms of guaranteed money in NFL history.
“When we wanted to send the details to the agent,” Jones said in a YouTube interview with Cowboys great Michael Irvin, “the agent told us to stick it up our ass.”
Jones later followed up: “We were going to send it over to the agent and the agent said don’t bother because we’ve got all that to negotiate. Well I’d already negotiated. I’d already moved off my mark on several areas. And so the issue is frankly that we already had the negotiation in my mind, and now the agent is trying to stick his nose in it.”
Mulugheta had no comment to The Dallas Morning News regarding Jones’ comments, but he was aware of Jones’ interview with Irvin.
The standstill between the Cowboys and Parsons has been going on for months, and with two weeks before the season opener there’s no clear sign of an end date. Parsons is heading into the final year of his rookie contract. He has reported to all mandatory events for the Cowboys this offseason, but instead of holding out, he’s effectively performed a “hold in.” He warmed up the first day of training camp and even did a couple drills during mandatory minicamp. Since then, however, he hasn’t practiced once.
Drawn-out negotiations with star players, in the word of Dak Prescott earlier this summer, have become an “annual” thing with the Cowboys. Prescott has experienced it multiple times. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb held out of the entirety of training camp in Oxnard, Calif., last season before he signed a new extension. Former Cowboys Zack Martin and Ezekiel Elliott also had tough negotiations with Jones.
Parsons’ negotiation has been no exception. There has been one unique element, however: Parsons officially requested a trade from the Cowboys. His lengthy statement went over his perspective on the negotiation that happened in March between he and Jones.
“In March I met with Mr. [Jerry] Jones to talk about leadership,” Parsons wrote. ”Somehow the conversation turned into him talking contract with me. Yes I engaged in a back and forth in regards to what I wanted from my contract, but at no point did I believe this was supposed to be a formal negotiation and I informed Mr. Jones afterward my agent would reach out thinking this would get things done. But when my agent reached out and spoke to Adam [Prasifka] he was told the deal was pretty much already done. My agent of course told him that wasn’t the case and also reached out to Stephen Jones. Again the team decided to go silent. At that point we decided we would allow the team to reach out to us whenever they decided they wanted to talk. Yet still not a call, email or text to my agent about starting a negotiation.
“Up to today the team has not had a single conversation with my agent about a contract. Not one demand has been made by my agent about money, years or anything else. Still I stayed quiet but again after repeated shots at myself and all the narratives I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys. My trade request has been submitted to Stephen Jones personally.”
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed optimism on Wednesday that Parsons would be available to play against the Eagles on Sept. 4.
Parsons is scheduled to make just over $24 million this year after the Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option. Parsons would be an unrestricted free agent after this season, unless the Cowboys elected to use the franchise tag on him.
Jones indicated on Irvin’s YouTube show that the Cowboys would not only be willing to tag Parsons once, but twice.
“We really have three years to work this out,” Jones said.
He added: “I did that with Dak [Prescott] … the precedent is handling it like Dak. In this particular case, Micah comes in and plays on his contract, and if he doesn’t it’s very costly.”
Jones also pointed out that he’s done negotiations without agent representation before. He and Irvin started their YouTube interview on Thursday by discussing their previous negotiations.
“Michael, let me just say this to you: what did you do?” Jones said. “What did you do? We don’t even have to have a hypothetical. What did you do? You and I worked it out. Did you have an agent … sitting there with us?
Irvin responded: “No, it was us.”
Jones continues to believe that’s all that’s needed.
“The least incremental part of the whole equations is the attorney or agent,” Jones said without naming Mulugheta. “He works for Micah. He’s not the principal here in anyway.”
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