Micah Parsons contract dispute: Michael Irvin says 'no way' Cowboys trade star defender

With one week left until the season opener, Micah Parsons’ situation with the Dallas Cowboys continues to take new turns. The latest came Thursday when ESPN reported the franchise appears willing to listen to trade offers – but Michael Irvin doesn’t think a move will happen.

During an appearance Thursday on NFL Live, Irvin made it clear he does not expect Jerry Jones to trade Parsons despite the rumors swirling. He called it part of the negotiation process as the star linebacker seeks a new contract that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback.

Instead, Irvin said Parsons’ focus should be on getting his bag from the franchise. That’s why the message should be for Jones and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, to figure it out before the season starts.

"I guarantee Micah Parsons is not going anywhere."

—@michaelirvin88 on the Cowboys listening to trade offers for Parsons 👀 pic.twitter.com/SQWufJnrRR

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 28, 2025

“Look, you can report all you want, there’s no way they’re allowing Micah Parsons to go anywhere,” Irvin said. “All of this is part of the negotiations. And as I talked to Jerry the other day on my podcast, we were talking about it the other day when he tried to make that offer and somebody told him to shove it up his rear and all of that. Honestly, it blew my mind. It blew my mind that any kind of conversation like that would be going on in a situation like this.

“Micah Parsons, I want him to take control of this thing and say, ‘I don’t care about you two and whatever y’all got going. Get y’all’s butts in a room and get my money on that paper. That’s what you need to be doing.’ So I’m hoping that’s what gets done. But I guarantee, Micah Parsons is not going anywhere. Jerry’s not that crazy. This is all what we call, just negotiation stuff.”

According to ESPN’s report Thursday, the Cowboys are looking to find a resolution to Parsons’ situation by the time the season starts next week. Dallas will kick things off against Philadelphia in the first game of the year on Thursday, and its star defender hasn’t yet practiced. All the while, he says he’s nursing a back injury and reportedly went to get a second opinion on it Wednesday.

If a trade were to happen, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler listed three teams that could make sense, based on what he’s hearing in league circles. The Green Bay Packers have been at the forefront of the rumor mill, though Fowler said the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals could also make sense.