Controversy continues to swirl in the Dallas Cowboys camp as Brian Schottenheimer begins his first season as head coach. Meanwhile, 82-year-old owner Jerry Jones has managed to alienate his best defensive player, Micah Parsons.

Jones has made several public comments about Parsons, but some of his latest remarks were tone-deaf.

“Of all players that I’ve ever negotiated with, Michael Parson is savvy and knowledgeable, and understanding of his financial business relative to football as any player as I’ve ever been around,” he said.

While the sentiment may seem complimentary, calling him “Michael Parson” instead of Micah Parsons doesn’t help matters.

Quarterback Dak Prescott recently spoke on the situation.

“I mean, it’s an every year conversation, whether it’s myself, Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, now Micah Parsons. It’s a part of it in a sense,” Prescott said. “Is it something that I wish any of us were going through? Absolutely not. But I think Micah’s doing a hell of a job with it, being here.”

Prescott went on to praise Parsons for remaining a strong presence within the team.

“He’s a great teammate, showing up not just on the field and being focused, but whether it’s in the camaraderie, hanging out, dinner,” Prescott said. “He’s not just doing it to sign off and say, ‘Hey Jerry, look at me.’ He wants to be out there practicing. And honestly, I’m glad he’s not. He can’t do that to himself. That’s the business of it. That’s the business of a holdout, so I do think he’s taken some great steps with being here.”

Prescott wrapped up his thoughts by acknowledging the financial side of the NFL.

“I don’t know if there’s a correct way to handle it, to be honest with you. I will say that I think he deserves to get paid,” Prescott said. “I think he should get paid and, ultimately, going off the history of what I’ve seen, he will get paid. Hopefully, it’s sooner than later.”

Now, former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has entered the conversation, appearing to back Prescott on the latter’s stance about the ongoing contract negotiations involving Parsons.

“Yea @dak,” Bryant wrote in a quote-tweet.

Micah Parsons has been with the Cowboys since they drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and has been named first-team All-Pro twice.

Last season, Parsons appeared in 13 games and recorded 43 combined tackles and 12 sacks. It was the first time in his career he played fewer than 16 games in a season.

The Cowboys will kick off their 2025 season on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 4.