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Todd Archer
OXNARD, Calif. — Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons has made a request to be traded.
Parsons took to social media Friday to make the announcement and went through his version of events that led to his decision to want to move away from the franchise he grew up adoring and that drafted him in the first round in 2021.
“Yes, I wanted to be here,” Parsons wrote. “I did everything I could to show that I wanted to be a Cowboy and wear the star on my helmet. I wanted to play in front of the best fans in sports and make this Americas team once again. The team my pops and I grew up cheering for way up in Harrisburg, PA.
“Unfortunately I no longer want to be here. 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.”
Thank you Dallas ?? ??! I pic.twitter.com/EUnEj9uRUt
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) August 1, 2025
Both sides acknowledge there have not been discussions regarding a contract extension. Parsons is set to make $21.324 million this season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal as a defensive end, not the reported $24.007 million that he would make if he was a linebacker.
The team had no comment on Parsons’ request. The Cowboys can hold his rights through 2028 with the use of the franchise tag, however, the last year of the tag would cost them the quarterback tag figure.
The relationship between Parsons and the Cowboys has worsened in the past four months in part because owner and general manager Jerry Jones was of the belief that the sides were close to an agreement on an extension that would have made Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, per multiple sources.
Parsons said his agent, David Mulugheta, approached the Cowboys prior to last year about a contract extension but the team’s focus was on Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, who became the highest-paid quarterback and the second-highest-paid wide receiver, respectively.
When the 2024 season ended, Parsons said he told Mulugheta to tell the team they were ready to negotiate.
“My agent informed me I should wait for other deals to get done because the price would only go up but I didn’t care and wanted to secure myself as a Cowboy long term,” Parsons wrote.
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While in Abu Dhabi, Parsons called Jones and requested a meeting. Parsons wrote on social media it was about, “leadership,” but “somehow the conversation turned into him talking contract with me.”
Parsons admitted he had a back-and-forth with Jones, who later at the NFL owners meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, said they came to an agreement on the length, total money and guaranteed portion of the deal.