Penn State in the NFL roundup: 'No deal in sight' for Micah Parsons; will Chris Godwin be ready for Week 1?

Former Penn State All-American and multi-time All-Pro Micah Parsons is reportedly no closer to finalizing a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys that would put an end to a standoff between him and the team that started when he requested a trade from the NFC East franchise last week as he enters the fifth year of his first pro contract.

“No deal in sight. If there’s no deal in sight… what’s going to happen? Is Micah going to play in the opener? We’ve already heard Jerry Jones wonder about whether Micah would be out there on opening day,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said on the outlet’s Aug. 11 episode of ‘GetUp.’ “What would be the Cowboys’ plan here? Well, if obviously they can’t get a long-term deal done, and the two sides are not even talking about it right now, then they can always have Micah this year… if he plays. And they have the franchise tag after this year. They’d have the franchise tag the next year. They have his rights, essentially, for three years. At some point in time you have to wonder if they would look to trade him.

“Now they’ve been very opposed to that idea publicly saying, we’re not interested in trading him. He’s not going to be dealt. But you can’t not sign the guy and then you can’t not trade him. It’s one or the other. Either you’re going to work on a long-term deal, which they haven’t done with him, or you’re going to have to explore other options. Which they haven’t yet, but there are people around the league who wonder if they’ll get to that point in time.”

More: Two Penn State players named to ESPN’s preseason All-America team

Schefter adds that both sides are “disappointed” with each other. Parsons is at the team’s training camp but not participating. He is also now dealing with a back injury, according to multiple reports. His current deal is worth just north of $24 million for the 2025 season.

“That’s the nature of the negotiation,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “If you look at any negotiations around the league right now…I think they’ve all negotiated a trade. We have no intention of trading Micah.”

Parsons originally asked to be moved at the start of camp.

“Unfortunately I no longer want to be here,” Parsons wrote on social media. “I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me. I had purposely stayed quiet in hopes of getting something done.”

It remains to be seen whether or not Parsons will suit up for Week 1. The Cowboys open the 2025 season opposite the Eagles on Thur., Sept. 4 in Philadelphia.

Will Chris Godwin be ready for Week 1?

Former Penn State receiver Chris Godwin signed a massive new deal with Tampa Bay this offseason. But, it’s unclear if he will be ready for Week 1 in the first of a three-year deal worth $66 million. It includes $44 million in guaranteed money. The one-time Nittany Lion is recovering from a dislocated ankle and is currently on the physically unable to perform list.

“He’s advancing through his protocols,” Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht told reporters in early August. “He’s exactly where they anticipated and hoped he would be at this point. We’ve still got a ways to go.”

Godwin, even if he missed some time, will not miss the entire 2025 season. Over eight years in the pros, Godwin has caught 579 passes for 7,266 yards and 39 touchdowns.

“I mean, to be honest, I feel like we were really close (to leaving),” Godwin told the NFL Network earlier this year. “When it comes to a situation like that, you have to really, really consider it. Me and (his wife) Mariah, we had some really tough conversations. Had some really tough conversations with my agent. Because at the end of the day, you’re trying to figure out what’s going to be best for our family. Not everybody would make that decision, and I’m not faulting anybody that would.

“But at the end of the day, like I was mentioning in the presser, I have to go based off my gut, I have to go based off my intuition and what I think is going to be best for us in the long run. Being here, where we call home, where we feel the most comfortable, where we can raise our newborn son, I think all those things are big factors for us in making this decision.”