Myles Garrett shook up the NFL when he demanded a trade during Super Bowl week while simultaneously putting Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons’ contract situation under the spotlight.
Then, Garrett stunned the football world again by signing a four-year, $160 million extension with the Cleveland Browns, averaging $40 million per season. That undoubtedly raises the bar for Parsons’ next deal, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is facing heavy criticism for delaying extension talks with what many consider the cornerstone of his franchise.
Robert Griffin III Warns Cowboys and Jerry Jones of Delaying Micah Parsons’ Contract
The Cowboys drafted Parsons 12th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he has quickly become one of their biggest stars. The edge rusher has made the Pro Bowl in all four of his seasons, earned first-team All-Pro honors twice, and won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Parsons recorded 12 sacks in 13 games last season and is set to make $24 million fully guaranteed in 2025 after Dallas picked up his fifth-year option. His looming extension has been a major offseason storyline, and Parsons expressed excitement when the NFL announced a significant salary cap increase.
However, the Cowboys still haven’t reached a deal, and Garrett’s massive extension has reset the market for elite pass rushers.
Former Pro Bowl quarterback Robert Griffin III warned Jones that delaying Parsons’ extension would only drive up the price and could damage the Cowboys’ relationship with their star defender.
“The longer Jerry Jones waits, the more expensive Micah Parsons becomes,” Griffin wrote on X.
“The Dallas Cowboys need to stop being reactive and become proactive as a franchise in getting deals done. If the player is a cornerstone of your program, pay them. If you don’t think they are, then trade them and move on.
“When you constantly go ALL IN with the ‘wait and see what the market is’ approach, the relationship with the player erodes, it becomes all about the money, and ‘yesterday’s price isn’t today’s price’ doesn’t work in your favor. Pay your guys and show the rest of the locker room that you will reward them for developing and doing their job at an elite level,” the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year concluded.
The longer Jerry Jones waits the more expensive Micah Parson becomes.
The Dallas Cowboys need to stop being reactive and become proactive as a franchise in getting deals done. If the player is a cornerstone of your program, pay them.
If you don’t think they are, then trade… pic.twitter.com/MKDAkPLkRO
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 10, 2025
Longtime NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum also shared Griffin’s thoughts, predicting how much more Parsons’ extension will cost now that Garrett’s deal has reset the market.
The Myles Garrett extension will cost the Cowboys a minimum of an additional $30mm with Micah Parsons’s extension; last year Nick Bosa’s average, as the highest paid DE was $34mm. On a 5 year extension for Parsons’ the Cowboys, by waiting a year, will be at least 6mm/yr.
— Mike Tannenbaum (@RealTannenbaum) March 9, 2025
Meanwhile, FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz suggested that Dallas may be hesitant to reset the market for Parsons — and a trade isn’t entirely off the table.
Schultz tweeted: “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.”
Parsons has every reason to be thrilled about Garrett’s new deal — it means he’s about to get paid. As for Jones, he now faces a tough decision: pay Parsons more than $40 million per season or deal with the wrath of Cowboys fans demanding that he sell the team.