This is what we know about Parsons' break after three years in Dallas … and what comes next.
The Dallas Cowboys training camp began last week with the CazamaMales Micah Parsonsselected the Pro Bowl, reporting, but not participating while waiting for a contract extension.
Last season, the field marshal Dak Prescott and the receiver CeeDee Lamb They did not sign their respective contracts until near the end of the season, so many assumed that Parsons' situation would follow their example. However, on Friday, Parsons posted on social networks that he requested an exchange.
“I don't want to play for the Dallas Cowboys,” he wrote. “My exchange request has been personally sent to Stephen Jones.”
The reporters of the NFL of ESPN, Todd Archer and Jeremy Fowler, analyze how we get to this situation, what it means and what follows for Parsons and the cowboys.
What motivated Parsons's application for transfer?
At the beginning of the training camp, Parsons said he was not frustrated, but discouraged. Without formal negotiations, he finally thought it necessary to make the request. It was not lightly. Parsons grew by being fond of the cowboys and, on the night of the 2021 draft, he wished that his conversion to Cowboy came true, even after Dallas receded to the 12th position in an agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Parsons said that “repeated criticisms” led to this decision. At the opening press conference of the training camp, the general owner and manager Jerry Jones made a frivolous comment: even if the cowboys signed Parsons, he would not guarantee their availability because “it could be hit.”
After several fans shout “Pay Micah!” Last week, Jones described those “faint” comments compared to what he heard of fans in conversations with Lamb last year. Executive vice president Stephen Jones pointed out about the fans song: “Nothing changes. We also want to pay Micah. He also has to want to be paid.” – Archer
What is the history of Jones with the players who requested a transfer?
Several sources claimed not to remember any occasion when a Cowboys player requested a transfer. While there have been controversial negotiations in the past (the ITIMT Smith corridor was lost two games of the regular season in 1993), the point that a prominent player asked to leave.
The cowboys have finally paid their stars, but it has been closing agreements, including those of Prescott (twice), the corridor Ezekiel Elliottthe Zack Martin and Lamb guard in recent years.
If you decide not to play, Parsons can receive a fine of $ 50,000 a day if you leave the training camp. However, being under your rookie contract, the club can terminate the fines. Last year, Lamb went through something similar with his strike.
In short, Jerry Jones has never lost a star player who would like to keep. However, Parsons has led the situation farther than anyone with his transfer application. – Archer
Thank you Dallas 🦁👑 🙏🏾! I pic.twitter.com/EUnEj9uRUt
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) August 1, 2025
If Parsons refuses to play, how will that affect the defense?
If we remove a Joe Burrow Of the Cincinnati Bengals, how would they be? Or a Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. That is the type of impact that Parsons has on the cowboys.
Parsons registered 52.5 captures in his first four seasons, only behind Reggie White (70), Derrick Thomas (58), JJ Watt (57) and Demarcus Ware (53.5) since the catches became an official statistic in 1982. Parsons and White are the only players to record at least 12 captures in each of their first four seasons He reached 12 in 2024 despite missing four games for an ankle sprain.
2:34
Micah Parsons shows the cowboys again
Carlos Nava explains what happens around the player's non -renewal.
Cowboys like their depth in defense with Dante Fowler Jr., Sam Williamsthe rookie Donovan Aitauzu y Marshawn Kneelandbut these players do not have the same impact as Parsons, who was the finalist to the defensive player of the year in each of his first three seasons.
That quartet has combined 64 captures, 55.5 of them from Fowler. – Archer
What does the league people say?
Several executives of the league interviewed hours after Parsons' news made it clear that there is genuine intrigue and surprise about why Dallas adopts this tactic with star players.
“Millions are costing every summer,” said a senior NFC executive, adding that the apparent interest of the team in the headlines and television conversations on contractual issues cannot be sufficient for the franchise to compensate for the lost money.
The people with whom I have spoken leave open the possibility that calm prevails at the end of August. But they point out that Dallas is also playing with fire with a player and an agent (David Mulugheta) who do not care about the role of villain.
“Wrong player,” said a direct knowledge of the Parsons process about the tactics of the cowboys.
Parsons is the rare star without defects: he is young, he has not suffered injuries and follows a trajectory similar to that of Reggie White.
Another NFC executive pointed out that he does not believe that the cowboys transfer to Parsons. Although the return of the exchange would probably include a first round selection, possibly two numbers one, such an agreement would be difficult to achieve for the teams when they consider the money of the contract that they would have to compromise with the player, in addition to the capital of the lost draft. – Fowler
How is this from the application for transfer of Myles Garrett con los Cleveland Browns?
Garrett's tone is very different from that of Parsons.
Garrett resorted to social networks in February and declared: “While I loved to call this city my home, my desire to win and compete in the most important stages does not allow me to be complacent. The goal has never been from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete to and win a Super Bowl.”
Five weeks later, Garrett signed an extension of the contract of four years and 160 million dollars to remain with the Browns.
Parsons wrote about “repeated criticism against myself” and detailed the exchange he had with Jerry Jones in March, saying that the original intention was to talk about leadership, but that Jones diverted the issue towards his contract.
Can the parties repair a relationship that once led Parsons to never want to leave Dallas already tell ESPN in December that he did not need to be the best paid defensive player in the league? – Archer
How are other players responding to this news?
The reaction to Parsons's news spread rapidly through social networks, including that of several cowboys colleagues.
In X, Lamb replied: “Never fail, friend. Only what they owe him. There is no need for extracurricular.”
His cowboys classmates, DeMarvion Overshown, Trevon Diggs y Juanyeh ThomasThey changed their X profile photo to include Parsons.
The center of the Pro Bowl of the Buffalo Bills, Eric Wood, published a photo of Parsons with the Bills uniform holding a Lombardi trophy with the text: “It seems good to me.”
The former defensive liner All-Pro of the Arizona Cardinals, JJ Watt, published: “Take care of your best players from the beginning. Save money. Save headaches. The longer, the higher the price will be.”
Take care of your best players early.
Saves money.
Saves headaches.The longer you wait, the higher the price.
– JJ WATT (@JJWATT) August 1, 2025
