Jerry Jones’ Handling of Micah Parsons Dispute Is ‘Unethical,’ Says Nick Wright
Another day has gone by, and Micah Parsons still does not have a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Following Parsons’ heated trade request on August 1, owner Jerry Jones responded boldly to the increasing concerns surrounding the situation, asserting that the standoff with the All-Pro pass rusher is no different from previous scenarios he has encountered. “Don’t lose any sleep over it,” Jones advised. “That’s the one thing I would say to our fans.”
This prompted FOX Sports’ Nick Wright to openly criticize Jones on Monday’s episode of “First Things First.” “The entire press gathering was kind of surreal, even by Jerry’s standards,” he remarked pvl.ph live stream. “The whole thing was bizarre, but what is very clear to me is two things. One is: Jerry feels like they had an agreement, and he wants to stick to it — and I think that is an unethical way to do business. … My other big takeaway is this: Jerry wants to be the star of this negotiation. He made that very clear.”
“I think ultimately it gets done. I don’t think Micah gets traded. philsports complex nba summer league 2023 orlando I think Jerry ends up caving, but I also think … even if it gets done, they have damaged the relationship significantly,” he added.
Parsons and the Cowboys commenced contract discussions back in January. Discussions sparked further in April when Jones noted at the NFL’s annual league meeting that he was in direct communication with Parsons regarding a potential new deal, while Parsons made it clear that he would not finalize any agreement without his agent, David Mulugheta, involved. In June, Parsons expressed that he was “hanging in tight” and “hopeful” for a new deal before training camp began on July 20. However, just a day before camp commenced, Jones questioned Parsons’ durability by mentioning that he had missed several games due to a high ankle sprain last season — the first injury Parsons experienced in his career — when reporters asked for updates on the negotiations.
While Parsons did not respond directly to Jones’ comments, he reshared a social media post from former NFL star J.J. Watt that stated, in part, “Anytime you can publicly take a dig at your star quarterback and your star pass rusher simultaneously, right before the season begins, you just gotta take it.” Parsons had reported to camp in Oxnard, California, but only observed practices from the sidelines and did not participate.
Earlier this month, Parsons made a formal trade request, criticizing the Jones family for their handling of contract negotiations and revealing that they had not “had a single conversation” with his agent. “I no longer want to be here,” Parsons stated in a statement exceeding 1,000 words. “I no longer want to be held to closed-door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization, our fans, and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me edwin asoro.”
Parsons further explained that he and Jones met in March to “talk about leadership,” but the conversation shifted to contractual matters. “Yes, I engaged in a back-and-forth regarding what I wanted from my contract, but at no point did I believe this was supposed to be a formal negotiation,” Parsons disclosed. “I informed Mr. Jones afterward that my agent would reach out thinking this would facilitate things. gilas pilipinas vs chinese taipei 2024 But when my agent contacted (director of salary cap/player contracts) Adam Prasifka, he was told that the deal was pretty much already finalized. My agent, of course, informed him that this wasn’t the case and … again, the team opted to go silent.”
Two days later, Jones added fuel to the fire by stating that former Cowboys star Dez Bryant — who openly supported Parsons on social media — and Roc Nation Sports owner Jay-Z are the reasons he dislikes dealing with agents during player contract discussions. The 82-year-old revealed to reporters that Jay-Z stopped taking his calls after their lengthy negotiations over Bryant’s contract in 2015, a claim that Roc Nation quickly denied.
A first-round draft pick in 2021, Parsons has recorded at least 12.0 sacks in each of his four seasons in Dallas, accumulating 52.5 for his career. He also notched 12 tackles for loss in just 13 games last season. Parsons is headed into the fifth and final year of his rookie contract and could be franchise tagged in 2026 without an extension. He is expected to earn $24.007 million in 2025.
What are your thoughts on the ongoing Micah Parsons situation with the Cowboys?
