The future contract of Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons isn’t the only one in question.
Parsons has a pending grievance against the NFL and the Cowboys regarding his current contract, a person familiar with the situation told The Dallas Morning News. Pro Football Talk was first to report the existence of the grievance.
Related
Parsons is entering the last year of his rookie deal. For first-round picks, teams can pick up a fifth-year option on those players. The compensation is determined by accolades and playing time, but also position. Based on the NFL’s formula, Parsons was designated as a defensive end instead of as a linebacker, the position at which he was drafted.
If Parsons were designated as a linebacker, his base salary for this upcoming season would be just over $24 million. Instead, he’s expected to have a base salary of $21.34 million as a defensive end. That’s a drop of more than $2.5 million.
The Cowboys have previously cited the NFL’s formula and the automatic designation for the decision.
An NFL spokesman told The News on Wednesday that the league “will vigorously defend against this claim.”
Parsons, according to Pro Football Focus, played 515 snaps last year on the defensive line, compared to 241 at linebacker. There is one detail that could be up for interpretation, however. Of those 515 snaps at defensive line, 385 were at a position PFF deemed as REO and LEO. That means a player who lined up outside the offensive tackle, but had their hand on the ground when the play was snapped. That means the only difference between linebacker snaps and defensive line snaps in that swing amount was whether Parsons was standing up or in a stance on the ground.
There have been differences about position designations before when it comes to contracts. Back in 2014, Jimmy Graham — then with the New Orleans Saints — argued that he was a wide receiver and not a tight end based on where he lined up. That distinction carried a vast difference in terms of franchise tag compensation — over $5 million.
Graham had a case, too. He lined up in the slot or outside on nearly 67% of his passes the year before, according to ESPN.
Ultimately, an independent arbitrator ruled that Graham was a tight end instead of a wide receiver. The Saints and Graham agreed to an extension after the ruling.
Parsons’ position distinction could be irrelevant if he and the Cowboys agree to a long-term extension. While that hangs in the balance, so does this other matter, however.
Twitter: @JoeJHoyt
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Source link
.jpg?w=3800&h=2000 "The Biggest Surprises and Shocks from 2025 NFL Roster Cuts – Bleacher Report")