Micah Parsons, the emerging superstar linebacker of the Dallas Cowboys, showed up to the franchise’s voluntary offseason program on Monday. Even still, this is big news as he heads into the last year of his rookie deal. His offensive line mate Parsons recently signed a huge four-year, $240 million extension before the season even started. Now, he’s been forced to go into the fifth-year option year. As an elite, Pro Bowl pass rusher, he has turned into an integral piece of the Cowboys’ dynamic defense.
In the previous two seasons, Parsons mainly did all his training on his own, then entered office for organized team activities and mandatory minicamps. Last year, for the first time, he showed up for all of the offseason program, emphasizing his desire to stay with the team. This year, he specifically communicated that he was going to be there for voluntary workouts. His dedication quickly won over his future teammates and coaches, too.
New head coach Brian Schottenheimer commented on Parsons’ commitment, stating, “I feel very comfortable. Micah said he’s going to be around. I think that he wants to be. I think we’re all very comfortable with that. At the end of the day, he’s a great player and we think he’s just getting started, to be honest with you. I have no question in my mind that he’ll be around.”
While Parsons’ excitement to enter camp with the team is clear, his future is still up in the air. The complexities stem from finer details that need to be negotiated between Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta. Jones knows that getting Parsons under contract as soon as possible is one of the organization’s highest priorities. As he says, the devil is not yet in the details.
Parsons’ relentless pursuits in contract negotiations have done little to affect his on-field excellence and commitment to the Cowboys. We expect that he will remain actively engaged in voluntary service as the team moves into offseason conditioning and toward next season’s start. Parsons has been an important cog for the Cowboys this season. Large-value public contracts in the professional sports arena can present especially tricky problems.
As negotiations come to a close, Parsons and the Cowboys are clearly optimistic. They are looking to find a mutually beneficial arrangement that rewards his work and locks him in with the franchise long-term.
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