Cowboys owner Jerry Jones fires shot at Micah Parsons amid contract standoff, hits Dak Prescott with stray

Jerry Jones signed off on making Dak Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history last year. Now, Micah Parsons is in the market for an extension. It could top all non-quarterbacks in a similar fashion, and it seems as if the Cowboys owner has some trepidation.

Speaking with the media on Monday, Jones had some precarious comments regarding Parsons’ potential deal. He related it to the season-ending injury Prescott suffered in 2024. The 82-year-old recognizes that just because you sign a player for an inordinate amount of money, there’s no guarantee they’ll stay healthy. That’s something he learned with his quarterback.

“Just because we sign him doesn’t mean we’re going to have him. (Parsons) was hurt six games last year. Seriously. We’ve signed — I remember signing a player for the highest-paid at their position in the league. He got knocked out for two-thirds of the year, Dak Prescott,” Jones told the media, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. “So, there’s a lot of things you can think about. Just as the player does, when you’re thinking about committing and guaranteeing money.”

Alas, there’s always an injury risk when inking players to long-term deals. Jones has a point there. However, it seems like a bit of bad form to point it out while negotiating. Especially while using your franchise quarterback as an example.

The owner’s comments didn’t end there though. He alluded to some other deals that didn’t work out for the Cowboys in the past as well, likening them to car accidents. Parsons may be a star right now, but Jones doesn’t want to look like a fool in the future.

“Contracts are four or five years. There’s a lot of water under the bridge if you step out and do something in the first two or three. You can get hit by a car, essentially. There’s a lot to look at over a lot of years that could make a big difference,” Jones added, via Awful Announcing. “Have you ever heard of any clubs committing to players and then they didn’t pan out after they committed to them? We have.”

Regardless, a deal is expected to get done between the two parties. ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated as much during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday.

“The Cowboys are slow-playing it again. Surprise, surprise. They have not been in any rush,” Schefter told McAfee. “Now, Micah is going to go to camp. Micah is going to be there. Micah is going to do what Micah does. But I can tell you that, going into camp, the two sides were not very close to a deal.

“I don’t think the Dallas Cowboys have been overly-aggressive about getting a deal done. There have not been very many conversations. … It doesn’t sound like it’s on a fast-track right now.”

As far as Jerry Jones is concerned, it feels like he’s fine with taking a shot at his own players every now and then. If they’re offended, they can cry into their millions and millions. Entering a pivotal 2025, we’ll see how that strategy works out for the Cowboys and their owner.