Who could be next in Dallas Cowboys’ extension plans? It could come soon.
On Sunday morning, the Dallas Cowboys extended tight end Jake Ferguson on a four-year, $52 million contract extension that binds him to the team through 2029.
Ferguson was one of a small handful of players heading into contract years or into situations that warrant a contract extension this offseason. With the team in Southern California for its annual training camp, the environment has led to multiple extensions being done before such as Trevon Diggs and Malik Hooker in 2023 and Jaylon Smith in 2019.
In 2025, it doesn’t sound like Ferguson will be the only one.
“We still obviously have a lot going on,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “Everybody’s got to get comfortable, and then we’ll go from there.”
“There’s a number of guys we’re working to get done,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said.
Here are some of the players that could land an extension in Oxnard.
Micah Parsons (one year remaining on contract)
Clearly, the top of the agenda has Micah Parsons’ name on it.
Even though Parsons maintains that he has not been practicing in Oxnard because of back tightness, for all intents and purposes, he is in the middle of a hold-in situation with the team until a contract extension gets done. Communication from both Parsons and the front office to the media has been contrary to the other.
Last Tuesday, Parsons said that his agent, David Mulugheta, has reached out to the Cowboys and is awaiting a contract offer. On Sunday before practice, executive vice president Stephen Jones said that they want to pay Parsons, but “he has to want to be paid, too.”
Similar communication is coming behind the scenes as well, as sources on both sides have maintained their public positioning. Odds are, something will give and a deal gets done before the season. Until then, whichever side is actually holding will have to move.
DaRon Bland (one year remaining on contract)
DaRon Bland has been away from the team and has missed the last four practices after welcoming in his first child earlier this week. But upon his return, it could make sense to hammer out a deal for the 2023 first-team All-Pro cornerback.
After missing the first 10 games last season with a foot injury, Bland’s price decreased from what he was slated to get coming off a record-setting 2023 campaign that saw him record more pick-sixes (five) in a season than any player in NFL history.
Instead of risking another All-Pro season that could create a highly competitive free agency environment, getting Bland wrapped up in the coming weeks could benefit the team. For Bland, it could benefit him by locking in a deal without risking another injury in 2025.
Tyler Smith (two years remaining on contract)
Hometown players typically aren’t hard to lock down, and sometimes they’re more willing to open conversations earlier than others.
Instead of walking into another situation next season with a potential Tyler Smith holdout, the Cowboys could get ahead of the curve by getting an extension done with the Fort Worth native while they’re in Southern California.
Over the offseason, Smith retained a new agent, the same one that worked with the Cowboys multiple times on team-friendly deals for former offensive tackle Tyron Smith. Could the same be in order for the younger Smith?
Brandon Aubrey (one year remaining on contract)
In just two seasons, Brandon Aubrey has separated himself as one of the top kickers in the NFL. Despite being 30 years old, he is still expected to land a deal that could contend for the top contract at the position in league history.
However, considering his age, the Cowboys could be benefited more by letting his contract expire and using the franchise tag on his services in 2026. But if they decide that Aubrey has shown enough reliability in two seasons to pass over a contract extension, they could save some dollars that they would otherwise spend down the line.
Sam Williams (one year remaining on contract)
There are still a lot of question marks around Sam Williams after missing all of the 2024 season due to a torn ACL, but the Cowboys’ overwhelming praise of how he attacked his rehab could be a sign of long-term trust from top brass.
However, the Cowboys’ signing of Terence Steele in 2023 after he tore his ACL hasn’t paid off how they thought, especially after owner Jerry Jones insinuated last week that the team moved too quick on getting that deal done. There could be some simmering thoughts from how that went down when thinking about potentially locking in Williams for the future.
Expect Williams to play out his contract year before the two sides begin negotiations.
George Pickens (one year remaining on contract)
Even though the Cowboys just acquired wide receiver George Pickens over the offseason and have yet to see him play a game in their own uniform, it could make sense to lock him in before his price certainly rises next offseason.
Another candidate for a potential franchise tag, Pickens’ performance early in training camp has the expectations high for what the overall offense can accomplish in 2025.
However, a complicated aspect of a potential sit-down with Pickens is that his agent, David Mulugheta, is also Parsons’ agent. And if Mulugheta is sitting down with Dallas front office personnel, Pickens will not be first on that agenda. Expect Pickens to play out his contract year.
This story was originally published July 27, 2025 at 6:20 PM.
