Why Micah Parsons is willing to wait for new contract amid Cowboys’ talks with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb

FRISCO, Texas – Many Dallas Cowboys fans were disgusted this offseason when owner and general manager Jerry Jones changed the team’s motto from “all in” to “do everything with less”.

Cowboys All-Pro rusher Micah Parsons has a different perspective, knowing what’s coming. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, who became the first Cowboys QB to lead the NFL in passing touchdowns outright (36 in 2023) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who led the NFL with 135 receptions last season, are entering the final year of their current contracts in 2024. He was stumped by Lamb to redefine wide receiver and non-quarterback contract winning markets $36 million in average annual salarywhich would surpass Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension ($35 million per year average) for first place in both contract categories.

“It doesn’t disappoint me,” Parsons said at the Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. “If you figure out how the money goes and how the contract goes, you kind of understand the business side. I think CeeDee takes on the value of two or three players. You’re talking more than $30 million a year. If you do that, how can you afford CeeDee Lamb? That potentially goes for other guys.

That list of other guys outside of Prescott and Lamb in the future could include 2023 First Team All-Pros — cornerback DaRon Bland and kicker Brandon Aubrey — as well as some 2023 rookie Pro Bowlers — tight end Jake Ferguson and left guard Tyler Smith.

“We have seven All-Pros or whatever the count is, it could be more, it could be less,” Parsons said. “We have at least three guys I know that could be All-Pro. I think (tight end Jake) Ferguson could be an All-Pro guy. counts too. Tyler Smith, I think he’s going to be First Team All-Pro, and you have to think about him in the future. When you talk about all these guys, you just have to say ‘hey, when are the other guys going to be? Are you going to perform and be better for the team?’ … I like what we’re doing. I think just being here today, people will definitely be very surprised at how good we really are.

Jones also talked about earmarking money to extend Parsons to a deal that the All-Pro edge rusher himself imagines will be a contract that resets the market and makes him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, based on how the salary cap works. continues to rise with the league’s new media rights deal.

Parsons led the NFL in quarterback pressures (103), pass-rush win rate (35.3%), and quarterback pressure rate (21.8%) in 2023. He also accumulated a league-best 14.0 sacks. career, tied for seventh in the league with 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Parsons accomplished all this while double-teaming on 35 percent of his pass rushes last season, the most in the NFL among edge players, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. There has been no other edge rusher in the NFL who has double-teamed at a rate of 30% or more in 2023.

“One day,” Parsons said of his future payday. “Time will tell. I can’t really set a timeline for mine. All I have to do is keep getting sacks and these things will take care of themselves.”