It’s easy for an NFL owner to shoot his mouth off, but another thing to arm every conversation, particularly when those conversations are taking place behind closed doors. For Micah Parsons, a budding Defensive Player of the Year contender and the emotional pulse of Dallas’ defense, this offseason was less about pay and more about trust. And at its center? Jerry Jones, utilizing quarterback Dak Prescott as both armor and distraction in a sophisticated game of contract deflection.

Jones has all along marketed himself as an “old-school” operator, famously telling the press years ago, “I bought the Cowboys with a handshake. It took 30 seconds. We hammered out the details later.” But that attitude, once beguiling oil tycoons and media types alike, now rests at the center of a bitterly personal divide. Parsons and his group allegedly thought that a handshake-level agreement had been made regarding his long-term contract. But 18 months later, that deal is still verbal and unofficial.

According to his agent, David Mulugheta, the Cowboys were approached twice: once at the 2023 NFL Combine and again in the spring of 2024. Both times, the message was simple, “We’re open for business.” But rather than negotiate, the team cited Prescott’s upcoming contract negotiations as the primary roadblock. Dallas told them they’d revisit Parsons’ deal after handling the quarterback’s restructuring. Yet even after Dak’s cap hit was lowered, no call ever came.

Parsons, visibly agitated now, thinks that the holdup is not merely financial, but  a strategic redirection; that he is not being merely relegated, but put behind Dak as if his worth comes second. It’s not merely the absence of a contract that annoys him; it’s the imagery. He ought to patiently wait in line, even while the Cowboys ride him each week as the focal point of their defense. And perhaps most ominously, the quarterback whose name was invoked to slow down his contract didn’t even realize he was included in the excuse.

While things between the two superstars remain stable on the outside, this revelation added a new dimension to the distrust one directed back towards the front office, rather than the locker room. Parsons is not the first. This is a trend under Jerry Jones that is all too common. Ezekiel Elliott previously held out of training camp until his contract was completed. Dak himself waited years before ultimately receiving a long-term contract. Now, CeeDee Lamb, the holdout-to-be, who has not yet reported to camp, is caught up in the same game. The difference? Parsons could be the most valuable defensive player in the league. And he’s being treated like another name on the list.

Cowboys owner is determined to make a backdoor deal.

Behind the scenes, there is increasing perception that Jerry Jones believed he had a “backdoor understanding” with Parsons. A verbal, non-binding agreement that could later be made official. Whether that was calculated spin or an inaccurate reading of the agent’s demeanor, the result is the same. Dallas’s silence and increasing animosity from Parsons’ side. According to Mulugheta, never was there such a formal deal; only continued willingness to negotiate. The Cowboys, he claims, never checked back.

Now, Mulugheta has stopped reaching out. Multiple sources confirm that Parsons’ side feels they’ve done everything right and that the ghosting is entirely on Dallas. Parsons himself has gone public with frustration, hinting at the idea of transparency and accountability, even saying in a recent interview, “If we’re gonna talk, let’s be honest about it. Don’t use me as a PR move.” He has directly demanded a trade via posting on social media, leaving the door wide open.

Throughout the league, players and icons have come to his defense. JJ Watt dubbed him “the most dangerous defensive player in the NFL.”  If Dallas thought they were paying lip service by staying quiet, they might have miscalculated how loud this noise would become. What started as a miscommunication now comes across as a power struggle. And it’s one Jerry Jones can’t lose, not with a Super Bowl window this thin.

Unless the Cowboys call somebody soon, they stand to lose more than their star defender. They stand to lose credibility in their locker room and throughout the NFL world. And unlike a handshake agreement, that sort of harm is difficult to reverse. What do you think? Let us know.