The Cowboys’ owner has tried and failed to lock in a contract extension for Micah Parsons, but the pressure to get the DE paid is now coming from every angle. Last year, it was Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb in the spotlight. This offseason, it’s Parsons joining the contract saga with Jerry Jones. A few days ago, Parsons posted what looked like a goodbye letter on X, which read, “Thank you Dallas 🦁👑 🙏🏾!” Some called it a leverage move. Insiders claimed his agent, David Mulugheta, was dead serious about a trade request. Meanwhile, Parsons also dropped a lengthy statement about stalled negotiations. This wasn’t unusual – star players sometimes request trades only to sign massive extensions. But Jerry hasn’t blinked.

In a radio interview, Jerry Jones dodged questions related to Micah Parsons’s situation. “I’m glad to see he’s working out, in shape, and feels great… I don’t have anything to comment on,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan. No promises. No urgency. That’s strange when Parsons could easily command Myles Garrett or T.J. Watt money.

Garrett signed for $160 million over four years. Watt landed $123 million over a three-year period. Both deals set the market. Everyone knows that Parsons belongs in that elite pay tier. As a result, there are many people who have been rallying for Jones to pay Parsons. 

The Cowboys’ training camp this year turned into a pressure cooker. Fans lined the fences with “PAY MICAH!” signs. But Jones brushed it off, saying the noise wasn’t as loud as “Pay Lamb” last year. For a team built on stars, that disconnect felt jarring. Later on, during an interview with the NFL on ESPN, Jones faced pressure again to answer why he had ignored Parsons’ request to negotiate. Jones’ response? “With who?” Again and again, Jones sidestepped the issue. He also suggested that even Parsons’s trade request did not anger him. For Jones, that was just part of the negotiation. And he has seen it far too many times in his life. But now the pressure is coming from unexpected places.

New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter recently posted on X: “My brudda🦾 can’t wait to see you get paid what you EARNED!! @MicahhParsons11”. This came after Parsons’ own teammate CeeDee Lamb called out the situation, too. “Just pay the man what you owe em. No need for the extracurricular,” wrote Lamb on X. And they’re right. Parsons is younger than most top-paid pass rushers. His 52.5 sacks and 256 tackles in 63 games speak for themselves. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler and a likely future Defensive Player of the Year. Why delay paying him?

Some think Jerry Jones has been holding out for Netflix drama. With a docuseries coming, maybe he’s been milking the tension, confident that he can wait Parsons out. Jones also seems to be confident the deal will happen on his terms. But Parsons has already asked for a trade. And if this drags on, could that be a possibility? Recently, the team’s executive vice president of player personnel, Stephen Jones had shut down trade rumors.

“No, we have no intention of trading Micah. We’ll just continue to grind. He’s under contract and fully expected to be here. It’s great that he is here. It’s what’s expected. He’s under contract for us and we’ll keep going. That’s the nature of a negotiation (the trade request). That’s just part of it,” he said. Therefore, the contract saga will end eventually. But every week without Parsons locked in feels risky. 

Preseason games and joint practices can shift leverage. The Cowboys need Micah Parsons to focus on football now. Their preseason opener didn’t exactly inspire confidence in those eight-win predictions. Then came an interesting twist. After Abdul Carter’s preseason debut, Micah Parsons sent a powerful message of his own to the Giants’ rookie.

Micah Parsons’ message to Abdul Carter after his impressive preseason debut

Abdul Carter, picked third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, brought instant energy to the Giants’ defense. His speed and spin moves lit up training camp. Even in non-padded drills, he looked like a mid-season threat. Then, in his recent preseason debut, Carter played only six defensive snaps – but that was enough. The Giants beat the Bills 34-25, and Carter heaped praise on his performance. And Cowboys’ DE Micah Parsons had a few words to share about the rookie.

Micah Parsons recently quoted a highlight video post on X from the game and wrote: “They asked me if Abdul could be another great! I told them he could be the best one!” The original post had hyped Carter’s limited snaps: “It’s probably safe to say this guy is a Top 5-7 player at his position already… Talk about RARE movement.” The praise seemed fair as Carter did not waste a second on the field in his debut. He pressured Buffalo’s Mitch Trubisky multiple times, even beating tackle Dion Dawkins. 

Giants GM Joe Schoen also liked what he saw as he said post-game, “I saw [Carter], he looks like he got a couple of pressures. I’ll have to go back and see the film afterwards.” Head coach Brian Daboll also praised Carter’s impact, but also wanted more tape review. Moreover, after the game, Abdul Carter said he felt ready: “I tried to come out already warmed up… I feel like I had a good little rotation.” The Giants’ rookie will get his next shot in the Giants’ next preseason game against the Jets. Given what star players like Micah Parsons had to say about Carter, expect more eyes on him.