The relationship between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys has deteriorated to the point where the star pass rusher is considering drastic measures, which could include a trade request or even a declaration that he is severing his relationship with the team, according to a league source familiar with the situation. The two sides remain far apart heading into the second week of training camp and are not currently negotiating.
Among the key issues: Parsons spoke directly with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over multiple days in the spring. The team believed those conversations were negotiations and that it had a deal, multiple league sources said. But Parsons believed the talks were just conversations and wanted his agent to handle the negotiations. When Parsons’ agent attempted to start negotiations, the Cowboys declined to engage with him and told the pass rusher that they believed they already had a deal.
Now, the team is refusing to engage with Parsons’ agent at all, creating a tense standoff amid increasing friction.
Parsons, who is in the final year of his rookie deal, is attending Cowboys practices but not participating in on-field work. The 26-year-old four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher is annually among the NFL defensive player of the year favorites and will likely earn more than $40 million a year from his next deal.
Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs pic.twitter.com/1yX0n70s4j
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2025
“We’re just working with what it is,” Jones told reporters on July 21. “It’s not uncommon for me, and not anything there’s a lot of angst over. He’s doing a real good job of being here. And that’s important. … We are where we are. And I sign the check. Period.”
Parsons has not spoken publicly since July 22, when he said: “I want to be here. At the end of the day, they sign the checks. Let’s see if they want me to be here.
“I’ve been pretty consistent. If they don’t want me here, I’ll go about my business. I understand the nature of the business. As long as I’m here and under contract, I’m going to do what I have to do to perform at the highest level. But if this is the end, then this is the end.”
The Cowboys are no strangers to contract holdouts, often involving their most prominent players. Since 2019, Ezekiel Elliott, Zack Martin and CeeDee Lamb all staged holdouts that included ugly moments before signing late in the summer, but none advanced to the point of requesting a trade.
This story will be updated.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
