Micah Parsons explained the controversy behind the contract extension with the Cowboys that never happened. The 25-year-old player never wanted to leave the franchise, but circumstances pushed him to sign with the Green Bay Packers.
Parsons signed a $47 million contract with his new team, but money was not what motivated him to make the change. Although he appeared calm about the situation, he admitted he wasn’t.
Failed negotiation attempts with the Cowboys
According to Firstsportz, Parsons told Bleacher Report: “People feel that, you know, I didn’t try to do everything possible to stay in Dallas.” However, Jerry Jones and his staff showed no interest in extending the contract.
“They didn’t give me another option. At first, it felt a little disrespectful. You know, I take it as just part of the business. I didn’t take it personally. They [the Cowboys] wanted to do what was best for their team,” Parsons said.
Micah Parsons sets the record straight on contract talks with Dallas 👀
▪️ ‘They didn’t want to do a contract with me’
▪️ ‘I’m not mad at Jerry Jones. I actually still respect Jerry Jones very highly.’ pic.twitter.com/whAecqtFly— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2025
Even though the negotiations failed, Jones tried to damage the reputation of Parsons’ agent. Still, the linebacker insisted he holds no resentment against the Cowboys’ owner and general manager.
“He let me live my dream (playing for the Cowboys). People don’t realize that those four years in Dallas were some of the best years of my life. I gave everything, and I really wanted to finish my career there. It just happened that the staff and the higher-ups wanted something different, and I’m not mad at them,” he added.
Parsons made one last attempt to reach an agreement before being traded from Dallas. But Jones had already prepared his exit. “Jerry Jones replied to the message, saying the Cowboys were preparing a trade, and if Parsons wanted to play in Dallas in 2025, he would have to do it on his fifth-year option. Parsons would become a free agent in 2026, but the team could also use the franchise tag to prevent his departure at that time,” an ESPN report stated.