The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly still not discussed a contract extension with defensive end Micah Parsons, drawing his eventual participation into question as the regular season approaches.
NFL Insider Adam Schefter recently detailed these extension discussions, or lack thereof, and said “the two sides haven’t had any negotiations since late March or early April.”
“And it sounds like, at this point, it’s personal. It sounds like each side is dug in. The Cowboys have come out and said what they said publicly at the start of training camp, which Micah didn’t like,” he explained.
“Micah came out and asked to be traded. Said he was ready to move on from Dallas, which I’m sure they didn’t like. And right now, both sides seem to be angry,” added Schefter.
Schefter later said that it is possible for these feelings to be overcome, but he does not see that as the most likely scenario at this time.
“I see these two sides headed toward a divorce in time. The only question is when is that divorce gonna happen? And how is it gonna happen?” he said.
One source close to Parsons has confirmed the lack of movement between the two sides to Mike Leslia of WFAA, with the source claiming that Jones is seemingly waiting for the defensive end to “fold” in his negotiations.
Cowboys Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones recently addressed the negotiations and the lack of movement on a contract, offering little hope to fans that a deal will get done.
Charlotte said on the NFL Network that this type of contract holdout “does happen all of the time,” claiming that “Everyone deals with the same issue” and “there are other contract holdouts across the league.”
“And I do think that… we have this incredible roster of talent. They’re at a very high level. They are being compensated at a very high level. And at the end of the day you realize that when the pie is gone there’s nothing left. So how you spread that around all of the talent that you have, and at some point that becomes the iceberg that’s right there that is… creates the tension in how you divvy that up,” she added.
Charlotte’s comments regarding the division of finances in relation to a pie provide little hope that a deal with Parsons, who will take up one of the largest pieces of this metaphorical pie, is on the table.
Despite concern that Parsons could eventually be traded, there is hope that Dallas will eventually come to an agreement with the four-time Pro Bowler.
The Cowboys still have contract maneuvers that would allow them to retain control over Parsons for the next three seasons, with the team currently having him under contract for one more season with the potential to use the franchise tag twice more.
The franchise tag allows NFL teams to retain the contract rights of a drafted player for one season on a fully guaranteed contract, with the salary of this tag being determined by the average of the top five players at each position over the past five seasons.
For defensive ends, that price would sit at $22.06 million for the upcoming season, with that price increasing every season based on the new contracts given out by teams.
The franchise tag has been a consistently used option by NFL teams, though players are frequently against the use of this tag for various reasons.
The biggest reasons come with the lack of long-term financial security and the likelihood that a player is underpaid on this contract, as many of the players who are franchise tagged would seek market-setting salaries on a new deal.
Although this is an option for the Cowboys if they are looking to avoid a long-term contract with Parsons, implementing this contract maneuver would only provide more fuel to the fire and create harsher feelings between the two sides.