In Dallas, where the owner speaks louder than the coach and occasionally louder than the quarterback, Dak Prescott has learned to play a different sort of game. One that doesn’t always appear on tape. He’s been the Cowboys‘ stead in tumult over the years, the player walking the line between franchise ambassador and nuclear silent protester. Even the most level heads, though, have breaking points.

“I stopped, genuinely, listening to what [Jerry Jones] tells the media a long time ago,” Prescott told USA Today in 2021. “It simply does not carry any weight with me.” That quote didn’t suddenly escape his lips; it uncovered a QB accustomed to dealing with noise from above. And this week at camp, when he spoke up on Micah Parsons‘ contract situation for the first time, it didn’t sound like typical teammate discourse.

Prescott, now a seasoned voice in the Cowboys locker room, was asked about Parsons being at camp but not suiting up. “He wants to be out there practicing,” Dak said. “And honestly, I’m glad he’s not. He can’t do that to himself.” That right there is not just concern, it was approval. Dak basically signed off on Parsons’ choosing to sit out as talks stall. “He’s a great teammate,” Prescott said. “He’s not just doing it to sign off and say, ‘Hey, Jerry, look at me.'” Or, in other words, he’s not doing it for Jones. If that appears to be a subtle shot at Jones, that’s because it likely is. Prescott did not feel obligated to say the team owner’s name, but he said it anyway. And in Dallas, you don’t just throw around “Jerry” carelessly.

That phrase wasn’t carelessly uttered. It was a quarterback co-signing his teammate’s choice to avoid live drills as his contract drama sorts itself out. Parsons, still operating on his rookie contract, has made it abundantly clear. He’s going to want to get paid like the star pass rusher he is. But with no agreement in place and not much word from the front office, he’s playing it safe rather than playing hard. And Prescott? He’s not merely accepting of it; he’s actively endorsing it. That nuance speaks volumes, particularly when it comes from the team leader and face of the franchise.

The Cowboys exercised Parsons’ fifth-year option in April, keeping him under contract through 2025. But with two consecutive All-Pro seasons and a Defensive Player of the Year vote, it’s no longer about playing for pennies. Parsons is going to make a little over $24 million this season. Not bad, but still well short of market value for a player of his caliber. Especially after this offseason reset the market for non-QBs with multiple record-breaking deals. That’s why his restricted camp attendance is drawing scrutiny. But Prescott’s endorsement also indicates something more profound.

This locker room doesn’t agree with the front office’s slow-roll approach. “He’s a guy that wants to be out there,” Dak said, doubling down. “But he can’t put his body at risk without knowing his future’s secure.” And that’s where this becomes even more complicated. Prescott, having had his own contract standoff, is aware of the toll it can exact both physically and mentally. So when he says “he can’t do that to himself,” it’s not pity, it’s experience talking.

Dak’s subtle endorsement of Parsons’ restraint was as calculated as it was honest. He didn’t call it a holdout. But the message was clear. This is one of our best guys, and we’d rather see him healthy on the sidelines now than injured without a deal.

Throwing Jerry Jones under the bus

Prescott didn’t merely stop at his glowing comments about Parsons. When queried regarding the larger trend of yearly contract squabbles in Dallas, his comments cut even deeper. “It’s an every year conversation. Whether it’s myself, Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, now Micah Parsons. It’s part of it… something I wouldn’t wish anyone was going through.” It wasn’t merely about support. It was a subtle shot across the bow at how Jones handles business. After all, when your franchise’s most prominent stars find themselves negotiating via the press year in and year out, something’s obviously amiss.

Jones, meanwhile, didn’t do himself any favors. Discussing with reporters earlier in camp, the 81-year-old owner went into full defense mode. ”Just because we sign him doesn’t mean we’re gonna have him,” he said of Parsons. “He was hurt for six games last year. Seriously.” Except Parsons missed four games, not six. And the suggestion that he’s injury-prone didn’t sit well. Jones doubled down, saying, “You can get hit by a car. There’s a lot to look at.” If that weren’t enough, he dragged Dak as well: “I remember signing a player for the highest-paid position in the league, and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year… Dak Prescott.”

It didn’t take long for the backlash to come in. Former DPOY and soon-to-be Hall of Famer J.J. Watt had a quick reaction, tweeting on X, “Anytime you can publicly take a dig at your star quarterback and your star pass rusher simultaneously, right before the season begins, you just gotta take it.” Parsons re-tweeted Watt’s statement, and the message could not have been clearer. He perceived the slight, and so did the locker room. For a team that’s planning on a deep playoff push, this timing of these public jabs felt tone-deaf. Players work in the Texas heat while their owner is making injury jokes and challenging people’s commitment. That’s not how you gain trust; it’s how you lose the room.