In a week that has made history in resetting the defensive end market, there is still one name who hasn’t gotten in on the action. The Dallas Cowboys, as well chronicled on CowboysCountry.com, has been in contract extension conversations with star edge rusher Micah Parsons for weeks.

Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas) and Myles Garrett (Cleveland) both re-signed massive contract extensions with their teams, making them each – at the time – the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Parsons is still left waiting his turn. Now, journalists are speculating whether Dallas actually wants to pay Parsons or not, hinting that a trade may be in effect.

FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz has shared this on social media to start stirring the pot… Sources: For weeks, there have been murmurs about whether the #Cowboys will actually give Micah Parsons a record-breaking contract – or if a trade could become a possibility. It still seems far-fetched, but with the market now at $40M per year, this situation is one to watch. pic.twitter.com/nOzQyeyJ5P — Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 9, 2025 Does Parsons want to return to Dallas? Yes. Do the Cowboys want to bring him back? Of course.

But because Parsons would now be the third (or forth?) defensive end to receive this new salary standard … that means Dallas is holding off because they’re about to trade him?

It doesn’t make a lot of sense. The Cowboys have generated boat loads of free-agency resources thus far. Signing Parsons anytime before March 12 continues those efforts because it will cost less than if he were to be re-signed during the official free agency period. Now that Dallas have taken its time, the league has caught up.

When he could’ve been signed weeks ago for less – after he admitted he would take a pay-cut for the betterment of the team – now Parsons’ position values a star-caliber player at $40 million a year. $40 million a year is affordable for this Cowboys team, not just because Parsons is a future Hall-of-Fame talent and top-5 defensive player in football, but because their prior moves this free agency have told us so.

The only thing? This situation wouldn’t have gotten to a $40 million number if it hadn’t taken this long to get done. Just as Micah’s brother has said: the Cowboys are doing this to themselves. omgggggggggggg cowboys just shot themselves smh this is why you already have a deal in place. https://t.co/j2XJEXzgUV — Terrence Parsons Jr (@Tpars_boii) March 9, 2025 The Cowboys will in all likelihood still attempt to bring Parsons back this offseason, but as Schultz points at above, the situation will gain more and more eyeballs as time dwindles down.