The offseason market for elite pass rushers could soon be at a fever pitch with which players might be on the market. The Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett has already mentioned he wants a trade, Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby is in wait-and-see mode, and the latest could involve Dallas Cowboys elite rusher Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys’ hire of Brian Shchottenheimer as head coach could have bigger ramifications than just replacing Mike McCarthy. Reports have surfaced that there have been early talks about what it would look like if Dallas were to move on from their All-Pro defender.
Is Micah Parsons’ Cowboys Future Status in Limbo?
Parsons is one of the NFL‘s elite defenders and has been a key reason for the Cowboys’ multiple 12-win seasons and playoff appearances outside of this past year.
Keeping him in Dallas would be a massive commitment as Parsons could demand one of the most lucrative contracts for his position in the league.
He has continually said that he is committed to his career in Dallas and even described himself as a Cowboys “for-lifer” when Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love tried to recruit him.
“I can’t go nowhere,” Parsons said. “Jerry Jones and I talked, that’s my dog.”
Micah says he's a Cowboys 'for-lifer' after Jordan Love tried recruiting him to Packers 👀
'I'm in one of them Druski 360 deals… I can't go nowhere' 😅
(via The Edge with Micah Parsons) pic.twitter.com/eEXNHGLCQU
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 9, 2025
However, things can change quickly in this league.
NFL.com reports that while trade talks haven’t begun, there have been internal conversations about whether to trade Parsons for a massive haul or to give him a big contract to keep him in Dallas for a long time.
Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said in December that investing so much money in one player can make building a championship difficult. However, he also added that it would be hard to see Parsons in a different uniform.
“I can’t imagine there’s a scenario where he’s not wearing a star on his helmet,” Jones said.
The three-time All-Pro rusher has always said that Dallas is where he wants to be. However, Parsons said on his podcast that starting over with a new head coach in town is a big deal.
“I am very sad for the relationships we had with coach [Mike] McCarthy,” Parsons said. “It is devasting… losing a great coach like Mike hurts.
“It will be a very interesting offseason due to the free agents, coaching, and it will be a complete reset. It will be an interesting and challenging offseason. I trust my owner and general manager that we will make the right decisions.”
Micah on Mike McCarthy's exit and what's next for Cowboys:
"It is devastating… It's gonna be a complete reset."
(via The Edge with Micah Parsons) pic.twitter.com/8qxpw2l6Gq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 14, 2025
Parsons does see himself as being part of the long-term plan for the Cowboys’ future. That decision is not always up to players under contract, though, with clubs in control of their future.
These early reports could just be that the Cowboys are weighing their options and seeing what they could get in a large return for Parsons.
A big return could possibly build Dallas into a Super Bowl contender, which is obviously something owner Jerry Jones desperately wants.