All Micah Parsons wanted was “respect.”
That’s the message Parsons’ brother posted Thursday night after the Cowboys traded their star edge rusher to the Packers in a blockbuster move to conclude a contentious contract saga.
“This isn’t even what Micah wanted is the sickening part of all this he just wanted respect in the negotiation process and [Cowboys owner] Jerry [Jones] wouldn’t give it sad year for Dallas Micah and Luka [Doncic],” Terrence Parsons Jr. wrote on X, even referencing the seismic Lakers-Mavericks trade that rocked the Lone Star State in February.
A two-time First-team All-Pro, Parsons had been seeking a new deal this offseason as he entered 2025 on the final year of his rookie contract.
That storyline carried over to the start of training camp in late July when Jones — whose Cowboys selected Parsons 12th overall in 2021 — publicly chided the four-time Pro Bowler amid the contract standoff.
The saga took an even nastier turn at the beginning of August when Parsons requested a trade, stating he did not want to be “held to close door negotiations without” his agent present, referring to a conversation he had with Jones earlier this year.
“In March, I met with Mr. Jones to talk about leadership,” Parsons, 26, said in his initial trade request. “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 [ESPN’s] Adam [Schefter] 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.”
The Cowboys ultimately decided to listen to trade inquiries and struck a deal with Green Bay, receiving two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark as part of the package.
Parsons, who in turn received a four-year, $188 million contract worth $120 million guaranteed, made it clear in his farewell message that this isn’t the ending he envisioned.
“I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control,” Parsons wrote on social media. “My heart has always been here, and it still is. Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything more than fairness. I only asked that the person I trust to negotiate my contract be part of the process.”
The Cowboys, set to face the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles in the NFL season opener next Thursday, stated the decision to move Parsons was in the “best interest” of the team.
“Without being too broad, obviously, we did think it was in the best interest of our organization. Not only the future but right now this season, as well. We gained a Pro Bowl player in an area we had big concerns in on the inside of our defense,” Jones said in a press conference following the trade.
Jones and the Cowboys will get to see their former Pro Bowler again in just a few short weeks when Dallas hosts the Packers on “Sunday Night Football” on Sept. 28.
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