Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Speaks Out on Micah Parsons’s Contract Standoff

Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons still doesn’t have a contract extension as training camp continues.

Micah Parsons (11) of the Dallas Cowboys reacts after sacking Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Dec. 15, 2024. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Dallas Cowboys training camp is well underway, and the biggest issue has yet to be resolved—star linebacker Micah Parsons’s contract.

Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott spoke out about the issue on Thursday during the team’s third day of training camp in Oxnard, California. Parsons has been present the whole time as a hold-in while he awaits a new deal from the team—a matter that has stirred throughout the offseason.

“I don’t know if there’s a correct way to handle it, to be honest with you,” Prescott told reporters. “I will say that I think he deserves to get paid. I think he should get paid, and, ultimately, going off the history of what I’ve seen, he will get paid. Hopefully, it’s sooner than later.”

Parsons had finished the first four years of his $17 million rookie deal going into the 2025 season, and the Cowboys picked up the club option of $24 million for this year. He could command $13.9 million more annually, based on Spotrac’s numbers, and Parsons is considered one of the top linebackers in the league.

Prescott understands the dynamic well, as he received a four-year, $240 million contract extension last year. While Prescott has made three Pro Bowls in his nine seasons, Parsons has made the Pro Bowl every season of his young career.

“I mean it’s an each and every year conversation whether it’s myself, Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, now Micah Parsons,” Prescott said.

“It’s a part of it in a sense. Now, is it something that I wish any of us were going through? Absolutely not, but I think Micah’s doing a helluva job with it being here.

“He’s a great teammate, showing up obviously not just on the field and being focused, but whether it be in the camaraderie, hanging out, dinner. He’s not just doing it to sign off and say, ‘Hey, Jerry [Jones] look at me,’ but he wants to be out there practicing. And honestly, I’m glad he’s not. He can’t do that to himself. That’s the business of it. That’s the business of a holdout, so I do think he’s taken some great steps with being here.”

Dallas managed to divvy out two massive contract extensions last year. Lamb, the team’s star wide receiver, landed a four-year, $136 million extension.

“Obviously, playing this media game with Jerry is not the best. It’s not fun. It’s not recommended,” Lamb told reporters on Wednesday. “[Micah] knows what he brings to the table. He should get what he deserves. I’m not indulging in any of the craziness that they got going, but I do want Micah to get paid, soon.”

How soon remains the big question. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday, the Cowboys “haven’t even submitted a contract proposal” to Parsons.

“We'll just see how long things take,” Parsons told reporters on Tuesday. “When you go around the league and you see these other teams taking care of their best guys ... you just wish you had that same type of energy. ... I want to be here. At the end of the day, they sign the checks. Let’s see if they want me to be here.”

“I’m doing this for myself and my teammates. This isn’t for Jerry,” Parsons added.

Conversely, Jones didn’t offer a lot of hope going into the week on Monday. Jones bemoaned what happened last season when Prescott got injured and missed most of the games, and Parsons also dealt with an injury in 2024.

“I remember signing a player for the highest-paid at the position in the league, and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year in Dak Prescott. So, there [are] a lot of things you can think about, just as the player does, when you’re thinking about committing and guaranteeing money,” Jones told reporters.