With the Buffalo Bills’ training camp in full swing, the Dallas Cowboys still have a big issue to deal with. Micah Parsons is in his final year of his rookie contract in 2025. While there was a chance for the franchise to set a deal last year, this didn’t happen. He has been pushing for a new deal for nearly two years, and with Dallas slow-walking negotiations, yet again, if you know, the player has asked for a trade. However, the Cowboys have been in talks to bring in another star player.

With that, the Buffalo Bills come into the equation. Much like Parsons, Bill’s running back James Cook entered the final year of his rookie contract and wants long-term security with his team. However, like other players in contract negotiation talks, Cook didn’t stir the pot early in camp. He reported on time and took part in practices. But this past week, he sat out for three days. It seems his patience is wearing thin as the team is yet to make a deal.

Amid this pressure, there are also rumors that the Cowboys might be interested in securing Cook to support Dak Prescott. An X post by Scott Barrett claimed that the Cowboys may have their eyes on Bills# 4. “The Dallas Cowboys are working the phones to put together a deal to acquire Buffalo Bills RB James Cook,” the post read.

He could be a major upgrade for the Cowboys’ offense. Even FanSided’s John Buhler also floated a trade scenario that would send Cook to Dallas in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 third-rounder. “Rumor has it that Cook wants Jonathan Taylor money. The Indianapolis Colts’ star running back has a cap hit of over $15 million. Cook stands to be a $5.7 million cap hit for the 2025 NFL season. Since he is in the final year of his rookie contract out of Georgia, an immediate extension shall be necessary to make a deal happen. By trading to future day-two picks, $12 million in assets goes the Bills’ way here. It should be noted that Dianna Russini of The Athletic does not think the Bills and Cook are that far off. I do not expect a deal to manifest, but it just goes to show how easily a star like Cook can be moved,” Buhler wrote.

Are the teams interested? While purely speculative, the buzz how these unresolved contract issues are coming together. Is it possible? Only time can tell. How, even with that, the issues continue with Parsons and Bills.

What caused the issue with Micah Parsons’ deal?

As said, the Cowboys find themselves in a self-inflicted mess. Despite being a crucial player for the Cowboys’ defense, he wasn’t locked by the front office early, letting talks drag until tensions boiled over. And Jerry Jones may have added fuel to the fire when he claimed a deal had already been agreed upon, without paperwork.

As per Parsons, his agent, David Mulugheta, reached out to the team only to be told they believed everything was already settled. It wasn’t. What does Jones think about it? He compared the situation to buying the Cowboys with a handshake in 1989.

“I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake. It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later. As a matter of fact, one of the details involved a lot of money, and we had to flip a coin over that. But the fundamental ‘I’m buying and you’re going to sell it to me for that range’ that’s done and those are done with eye contact and handshake,” he told NFL Network’s Jane Slater. He added that the franchise has a contract “in writing.” However, they will be renegotiating the deal.

The timing, however, couldn’t be worse. Had Dallas taken care of this extension last year, it could have saved millions. Instead, they sat on their hands while the market reset, most notably with T.J. Watt’s $123 million extension that now sets a new bar. This is nothing new, given the Cowboys’ history of dragging their feet with contracts, CeeDee Lamb last year, and Dak Prescott before that, this situation feels all too familiar.

This situation didn’t need to escalate, but Dallas’ negotiation tactics have seemingly backfired in a league that moves fast and pays faster.