The Cowboys are in uncharted territory with Micah Parsons following his trade request last week.
Or at least, it feels uncharted.
Parsons is the first player in years to publicly request a trade from the Cowboys in the middle of contract negotiations—and certainly the first to do so in the social media era, where players control much of their own messaging.
But this isn’t entirely new ground. During Jerry Jones’ 36 years running the team, several players—some just as significant as Parsons—have either privately or publicly pushed for a trade.
So, what does Jerry’s history tell us about how this typically ends? Let’s look back at the most prominent examples.
STEVE PELLUER (1989)
Steve Pelluer had been the Cowboys’ starting quarterback in 1988, but the arrivals of Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh left him on the outside looking in.
A disgruntled Pelluer requested a trade in April 1989. He was traded to the Chiefs in October for third- and fourth-round picks.
KEVIN BROOKS (1989)
Dallas’ first-round pick in the 1985 draft was Michigan DT Kevin Brooks. After a disappointing four years, and personality differences with Jimmy Johnson early in his tenure, Brooks requested a trade in May 1989.
Brooks and a fourth-round pick were traded to Denver for a third round pick in July of 1989.
ALEXANDER WRIGHT (1992)
1990 2nd-round pick WR Alexander Wright privately requested a trade in September 1992 after falling out of favor with Jimmy Johnson. Wright denied the reports publicly, but his agent Pat Dye confirmed the request had been made.
Johnson told the media he would not trade Wright. Three weeks later, Wright was dealt to the Raiders for a fourth-round pick.
EMMITT SMITH (1993)
Two days before the Cowboys’ 1993 season opener as defending Super Bowl champions, The Dallas Morning News reported that Emmitt Smith’s holdout had escalated to the point of a trade request.
Jerry Jones told the paper that a potential trade was “totally out of the question.”
Twelve days later, and after an 0-2 start to the season, Emmitt Smith signed a four-year, $13.6 million dollar extension.
MICHAEL IRVIN (1997)
Following an offseason of turmoil, legal trouble, and public scrutiny, the Dallas Morning News reported on May 15th, 1997 that Michael Irvin had requested a trade from the Cowboys. It was later revealed that the request had been made back in January.
Cowboys PR chief Rich Dalrymple called it a “non-issue” and said Jerry Jones “refuses to comment because there’s nothing there.”
Irvin skipped all offseason workouts in May and June and even told the team he was considering retirement.
On July 19th, Irvin reported late to Cowboys training camp, spent two hours in a meeting with Jerry Jones, and committed to playing football for the Cowboys again in 1997.
MIKE JENKINS (2012)
2008 first-round CB Mike Jenkins, who made the Pro Bowl in 2009, reportedly requested a trade in May of 2012 after the team drafted Morris Claiborne and signed Brandon Carr.
Jenkins was entering the final year of his rookie deal, and recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Both Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones publicly stated they wouldn't consider a trade.
Jenkins later denied making the request when speaking to reporters in July. He chose to rehab outside of team facilities, wasn’t cleared until just before the season, and played a reserve role throughout 2012. He was not re-signed and joined the Raiders the following year on a one-year deal.
RON LEARY (2016)
After being replaced at left guard by rookie La’el Collins in 2015, Ron Leary requested a trade during the 2016 offseason. He skipped offseason programs in hopes of forcing the move.
Stephen Jones publicly said the team would not trade him. A season-ending injury to Collins early in the year opened the door for Leary to start 12 games.
Leary left the following offseason, signing with the Broncos for four years and $36 million.
DEMARCUS LAWRENCE (2022)
Somewhat of a technicality.
In spring of 2022 the Cowboys attempted to get DeMarcus Lawrence to take a pay cut. In an interview before the season, Lawrence said the offer was so offensive that he told the Cowboys this was probably the end and that they should trade him.
The standoff was brief. The Cowboys returned with a reworked deal that Lawrence accepted. He would remain in Dallas for the next three years before departing this offseason for Seattle.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
Of the eight trade requests made during Jerry Jones’ tenure, the Cowboys granted only the first three. All of those that were granted were before 1993.
Since then, they’ve stood firm: Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Mike Jenkins, Ron Leary, and DeMarcus Lawrence were all told they would not be traded. And in every case, the Cowboys followed through.
So while the current situation with Micah Parsons may feel unique, it’s not without precedent.
I still believe a deal gets done. But I also believe the Cowboys will have to swallow their pride and make it right with Micah Parsons’ camp. Until they do so, Parsons' position will likely remain that he wants to be elsewhere.