The Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons have seemingly restarted contract negotiations after the two sides reportedly met.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Parsons and the Cowboys have been at a standstill during the negotiation process in recent months, with the two sides seemingly disagreeing on the presence of a previous agreement from early in the offseason.
As a result, Parsons requested a trade to another franchise, but the Cowboys have no intentions of trading the four-time Pro Bowler at this time.
Now, Shan Shariff of 105.3 The Fan reported on Thursday night that Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “met for over 4 hours” on Wednesday, noting that it “seems conversations have started” again on a potential deal.
Shariff later added that Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, was not physically present for this meeting, indicating that he might have been discussing the deal via phone call or video message.
Parsons was not present on the practice field for training camp on Wednesday amid rumors that the two sides were having discussions. However, Jane Slater of the NFL Network stated that no discussions were happening at that exact moment.
The good news for Cowboys fans is that this absence does not seem to be negative either, as Todd Archer of ESPN reported that Parsons took part in a walkthrough following the completion of practice.
Further reporting by ESPN on this topic indicated that Parsons was inside the training room during practice to receive treatment for a back injury that had been lingering for multiple weeks.
Throughout this negotiation process, multiple players have come forward in support of Parsons as he looks to receive the first contract extension of his career.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recently discussed this ongoing saga.
“It was just frustration that this is going on. I can say from experience that it’s just frustrating,” he explained, per The Cowboys.
“I hate that he’s going through it, but as I’ve told him, keep handling things the way that you are, and I believe that he should be paid.”
Notably, Prescott underwent a similar process last offseason while attempting to get an extension.
Prescott entered training camp without a new deal and chose to participate in preparation for the regular season, with the two sides eventually coming to an agreement that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
The frequency of this strategy by Dallas has led many to believe that Parsons will remain with the franchise, with Prescott also saying that “11 is a Cowboy.”
This belief was also expressed by Cowboys Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones, who said the team has “no intentions of trading Micah” despite the request.
“That’s just the nature of negotiations. I think any player that’s holding out for a contract – I think I’ve read around the league where they’ve all requested to be traded. So that’s part of it. We have no intention of trading Micah. He’s right here in camp,” he said, according to The Cowboys.
Although this relationship seems rocky at the time, the current indications seem to be that Parsons will eventually receive a contract that will make him one of, if not the, highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.