Will Cowboys pay, or trade, Micah Parsons?

When it comes to paying linebacker Micah Parsons, the Cowboys keep dragging their feet. As they usually do with core players they plan to keep.

But here’s where it gets interesting. Maybe, when it comes to Micah, the Cowboys will eventually choose not to keep him.

With Browns defensive end Myles Garrett pushing the non-quarterback APY as high as $40 million per year (the actual details are TBD), Micah’s price will also climb. The question becomes whether it gets to a point where the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones will punt on Parsons.

It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Last April, Shan Shariff of 105.3 the Fan in Dallas (you know, one of the guys Jerry threatened to fire even though Jerry doesn’t employ them) said Parsons has “worn thin” within the building. During the 2024 season, multiple Sunday Splash! reports from the TV network the NFL owns and operates (and over which Jerry has considerable influence) floated the notion that Parsons could be traded.

Why wouldn’t interested teams already be calling? Parsons will want more than Garrett. Parsons might want a lot more than Garrett. If there’s another team that will pay Parsons and give the Cowboys a boatload of picks, why not listen? Especially if Jerry doesn’t want to pay Parsons market value.

Last weekend’s uncharacteristic Scouting Combine silence from Jones prompted plenty of speculation regarding the reason(s) for it. Most centered on Micah.

Are the Cowboys considering trading him for the No. 1 overall pick? Are they trying to trade him for Garrett? (If so, too late.)

However it goes, a trade remains possible until Parsons puts his autograph on a new contract. And the longer the Cowboys wait, the more expensive it will get.

If Shariff’s information from last year is accurate, maybe they’ll decide to do a Herschel Walker-type trade for someone who will break the bank for Parsons and send significant draft capital to the Cowboys.