The Cowboys’ long-running contract drama with Micah Parsons added another strange layer during Friday’s preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The NFL All-Pro edge rusher has not played this summer, yet he still managed to grab the spotlight. Cameras caught him lying on a training table behind the bench while his teammates were on offense.
The clip went viral and quickly sparked questions about intent. Parsons had been the only Cowboy on the sideline without a jersey, and the optics poured fuel on an already messy standoff.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer admitted on Saturday that he wants answers. “Without talking to Micah, I need to figure out what he was doing and why he was doing it,” he said. “So until I talk to him, I’m obviously not going to talk about it.”
Parsons took to social media with his own defence, quote-tweeting WFAA’s Mike Leslie, who described the table episode as short-lived. “I’d never disrespect the guys out there fighting for their lives,” Parsons wrote.
An MRI on his back was “pretty clean,” according to Schottenheimer, who expects Parsons to be ready for the September 4 season opener against Philadelphia. “I think [defensive end] is an area that we’re pretty deep,” the coach added.
Still, this was not an isolated headline. Only hours earlier, Parsons wiped the Cowboys from his social media bios and posted what many saw as a farewell video. He has already asked to be traded and appears ready to test the team’s resolve.
Owner Jerry Jones insists Parsons remains tied to Dallas beyond this season. “I can’t imagine anybody sitting out for three years, at all,” Jones said.
He also laid out his side of the contract saga during Michael Irvin’s YouTube show. “Nobody appreciates Micah Parsons more than the Cowboys or me,” Jones said. “Nobody has ever offered him more money than I have to play football. Period.”
Jones claimed there had even been a deal in place, only for agent David Mulugheta to reject the offer outright. “When we wanted to send the details to the agent, the agent told us to stick it up our ass,” Jones said.
Drafted 12th overall in 2021, Parsons is playing under his fifth-year option worth $24m. Whether he ever suits up for Dallas again, though, looks more uncertain by the day.
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