It’s been almost a week since Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons requested a trade from the organization, as his ongoing contract extension negotiations with the team have reached a boiling point.

Still, Parsons has remained at training camp in Southern California.

While he hasn’t yet practiced with the team through 11 sessions, he has been seen on the sideline interacting with teammates.

Despite his trade request being the biggest headline of the team’s first camp under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the coaching staff has not seen Parsons’ presence as a distraction.

“I see him teaching the young guys,” Schottenheimer said.

“I think that’s really, really good. His football instincts are impressive. He’s very smart, he understands the game. I appreciate that he’s leaning into those guys.”

The defensive line room has a healthy mix of veteran and rookie talent, and Parsons has drawn praise for his teaching and spreading of knowledge to younger players such as rookie second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku.

“He’s been putting in his two cents when he sees something,” defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton said.

“He gives us some great indicators when he’s expecting something.

The other thing that I would say that has probably never been shown is that he’s taken some guys under his wing and had some one-on-ones with them, whether it was in the weight room or in the meeting room.

“He’s doing a really good job of picking his spots and putting his arms around them and showing them the way. The guys have been really appreciative of that.”

Whitecotton hasn’t gotten the opportunity to work on the field with Parsons in his first year as a Cowboys assistant, but he’s looking forward to it. “I’m excited,” Whitecotton said.

“His resume speaks for itself with what he’s able to do on the field. I have no reservations about him being ready to play in football games.

He’s proven that he can do that. He stays engaged. He knows our playbook. He knows everything backward and forward.

When that moment arrives, he’ll just let it rip.” With the team’s preseason opener coming against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, distractions must be limited.

The rhetoric from multiple coaches suggests that despite the dramatics around Parsons’ situation, he has not been one of those distractions. “No, not at all,” Whitecotton said.

“He’s been awesome.” “Our guys are focused on what we’re trying to build,” Schottenheimer said. “As we get closer to a game week, it’s exciting. There’s plenty of things for us to focus on. It’s going to be talked about …but our guys have a singular focus on getting better.”