Micah Parsons makes strong team-friendly statements about his Cowboys' future
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons says adding talent around him is more important than breaking the bank this offseason.
While speaking with the media on Thursday at The Star in Frisco, the All-Pro made it clear that he doesn't need to be the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, surpassing 49ers' defensive end Nick Bosa's contract worth an average of $34.7 million per season. Instead, Parsons would rather the team use the savings to build out a better roster.
"It would just be nice to be surrounded by good players, you know what I mean?" Parsons said, via Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com. "Players that will help me win championships. To me, having $40 million and being chipped every play and slid two with three, four people — I don't think that sounds too fun. So, to me, it's about people that can keep making a difference and, obviously, we're going to get Sam [Williams] back; and we're going get some of [others] back.
"We'll see how it breaks down, but I want to keep as many guys as possible, however they're going to make the cap work."
Parsons is set to earn $21.4 million in 2025 on the fifth-year option the Cowboys exercised on his rookie contract.
Earlier this week, he said on his Bleacher Report podcast that he wants to be a "Cowboy for life" and is anticipating the Cowboys' front office "to attack free agency" despite Stephen Jones indicating at the NFL league meetings last week that the organization was in for another slow offseason next year.
We'll have to wait and see if Parsons and his NFL-power agent David Mulugheta give the Cowboys a hometown discount, but Parsons has no desire to let the negotiations drag out in the offseason. And if for some reason they do, he has no intention of sitting out of training camp in the final year of his contract.
"I definitely think I need to be here in camp because, honestly, when so much of the defense is surrounded by your play and your presence, and others are getting lined up based off of you, I need to be here so that way I can get these guys accordingly," said Parsons. "We can rush together, build that chemistry. So I think it's of extreme importance that I'm back at OTAs, minicamp, and all those types of things."
Earlier this week during his weekly visit with Shan and RJ on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones blasted an NFL Network report that the team had discussed trading Parsons in the offseason.
