When Myles Garrett inked a massive $160 million deal, it was like watching a ripple turn into a wave. Edge rushers had a new gold standard, and everyone across the league felt it. Garrett’s deal, including $123 million fully guaranteed, blew past Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa, turning whispers into shouts that defensive stars deserved QB‑level cash. From TJ Watt to Micah Parsons, agents scrambled to rewrite the playbook right after Myles’ deal went down.

And suddenly Parsons became the center of attention. And this time, it wasn’t because he was pulling some heroics on the gridiron. But because everyone’s saying the same thing, Micah Parsons deserves a massive contract extension as well. At first, the fifth-year DE shrugged it off, claiming that he just wanted to stay in Dallas. Cue a couple of gigantic contract extensions this offseason, and suddenly Parsons had a change of mind. And now?

Early reports suggest that Parsons is eyeing a $200 million deal, which would make him the highest-paid non-QB in the league. And yes, it will surpass Garrett’s contract. But the big question? Will Jerry Jones actually pay him that much? Because right now, Garrett just shed light on Parsons’ contract talks, and he straight-up admitted that the Cowboys‘ star will get what he earned.

“I think he deserves whatever he’s earned,” Garrett said recently. “Once I got the chance to train with him. I’ve seen his work ethic. I’ve seen how he attacks. The weights. Running. He’s 100% committed to his craft and getting better every day. He has that level of dedication to the game. He should get every penny he’s owed.” Noted. And understandable.

But again, Dallas has Jerry Jones. And if history has taught us anything, it’s safe to say that Parsons’ getting what he’s earned won’t be a walk in the park (we’re talking a $200 million deal at this point). For starters, the Cowboys’ owner believes in negotiating a deal directly with Parsons. “I’m the one who has to sign the check and Micah’s the one that has to agree to it,” Jones said. “That’s the straightest way to get there is the one writing the check and the one agreeing to it talking, and that’s the principle that’s involved here.”

On the flip side, Jerry sees no urgency in re-signing Parsons just now. His beliefs? Well, JJ would pay more and get it right rather than rushing the contract. “We are there. I don’t view it as urgent at all,” Jerry said. “Some say using the basis that the earlier you get something done, the cheaper. Well, the earlier you get something done, a lot of the time, the more mistakes you make. You might want to see a few more cards played, not just with that particular negotiation but with the whole team… 

“I’d rather pay more and get it right than pay less and screw it up. You can screw it up real good, you can go too early and misread athletic ability, you can misread availability for the future. You can get a lot of things screwed up by going early, but any contract that’s worth noting, as you well know, it takes two to have an agreement.” However, Jerry and the Cowboys are still playing waiting games.

On the one hand, the Cowboys’ owner made it clear that he would rather pay more and get the right deal done. But on the other side of the spectrum, he straight-up admitted that he won’t negotiate a deal with Parsons’ agent. In fact, Jerry chose to negotiate directly with the 26-year-old DE.

All in all, Micah Parsons’ contract extension has been one of the hottest topics of this offseason. And the way things are shaping up, these contract negotiations will continue for some time now. Sure, Jerry has put it plain and simple that the contract talks have started, but will he pay him $200 million? That’s the tricky part.

After all, waiting on Micah Parsons’ extension would cost Jerry Jones more

At this point, the market for the edge rushers is hotter than ever before. Maxx Crosby’s latest extension? Done. Myles Garret’s deal? Even better. And now, T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh, Trey Hendrickson in Cincy (possibly a trade as well), and Micah Parsons in Dallas are waiting for their turns. While Hendrickson is reportedly seeking a trade and the Steelers aren’t expected to re-sign T.J. until the regular season kicks off, all eyes are on Micah.

But at this point, no one can figure out Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ knack for stretching the star players’ contract extensions and playing waiting games. They did for their quarterback in the past. And Parsons is the latest victim of this in 2025. The 26-year-old DE became eligible for a contract extension after the 2023 season, but he’s still awaiting his next deal.

And amidst the contract disputes, Parsons made one thing clear: waiting on contract extension is going to cost the Cowboys more. “It’s going to cost them more,” Parsons told Clarence Hill of All City DLLS on Thursday. Knowing that T.J. Watt has been held out of the team as he seeks his next deal, Micah Parsons believes that playing waiting games will cost Jerry Jones and Co. more.

While it’s still unclear when he will get his next deal, it’s safe to say that Parsons is going to be the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL.