Projecting what a Micah Parsons contract extension could look like with the Dallas Cowboys
With the first wave of free agency in the rearview mirror and the Dallas Cowboys putting scouting focus on the draft class ahead, a big task still remains at the top of the front office’s agenda.
An extension for Micah Parsons.
Heading into the final year of his five-year rookie contract, Parsons is expected to land a contract that will put him among the top-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL. What that number ends up being will be determined by just how long the two sides take to come to an agreement.
One on hand, Parsons has publicly stated that he would like to get an agreement done early in the offseason in order to give the Cowboys more salary cap clarity moving forward. In December, he highlighted that he would like it done before free agency started on March 12. Obviously, that didn’t happen. When prompted as to why a deal couldn’t get done before then, owner and general manager Jerry Jones spoke about contract “terms” and how basically the money, length and fine print have to work for both sides.
On the other hand, Parsons’ market continues to rise almost weekly. The highest-paid defender in the NFL has changed twice in the last month (Maxx Crosby signed a $35.5 million per year deal before Myles Garrett’s $40 million per year deal) and that doesn’t even factor in Ja’Marr Chase getting a $40.25 million per year contract as the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback last week.
As the market continues to evolve, what does that mean for Micah Parsons’ number when it is finally agreed upon?
If you asked that question a month ago, there would probably be confidence in saying that it would be below $40 million. He stated in December ahead of the market shift that he doesn’t need that figure nor does he need to be the highest-paid, but a price tag of exactly $40 million makes a lot more sense today than it did then.
If it comes in south of $40 million per year – which is still a likely possibility talking to multiple sources – expect the guaranteed money on the contract to eclipse the highest in the league for a non-quarterback: Garrett’s approximate $124 million.
The next question would be the length of the contract. A four-year deal at south of $40 million would end up guaranteeing a large portion of his contract if the $124 million mark is the benchmark in the negotiations. Don’t rule out the possibility of a five-year deal as a result.
A deal for a half-decade for, say, $38 million per year ($190 million total) would allow both sides to comfortably eclipse the $124 million guaranteed mark set by Garrett’s deal. And for Parsons, it could still allow for him to get back in the market after three seasons if his value continues to rise with yet another extension.
Regardless, despite unsubstantiated trade rumors, questions about his in-season podcast and other off-field issues such as not showing up for voluntary offseason workouts, Parsons is going to get a pay day. And it’s going to come from the Dallas Cowboys.
How exactly does that money bag look at the end of the day? That still remains to be seen.
