Micah Parsons is seeking a change of scenery, expressing a desire to be traded away from the Dallas Cowboys. The prominent defensive player issued an extensive announcement Friday, outlining his dissatisfaction with how the team has been approaching discussions regarding his future contract.
Parsons shared his statement on X, accompanied by the message, “Thank you Dallas.” Within the message, Parsons described the sequence of events related to his contract discussions with the organization. He started the announcement by stating, “I am no longer interested in remaining with this team.” He then stated that he and his representative had contacted the Cowboys before the start of both the 2024 NFL season and again after it concluded, but received no response from the team.
Parsons then corroborated earlier reports that he had a meeting with team owner Jerry Jones in March “to discuss matters of leadership.” During this meeting, Parsons stated that Jones brought up the subject of Parsons’ upcoming contract. Parsons mentioned that he engaged in a discussion with Jones regarding the specifics of the contract, but didn’t consider it to be “a real negotiation.” At the close of the meeting, Parsons said he informed Jones that his representative would reach out to discuss the new agreement further. However, when Parsons’ representative contacted the team, the Cowboys ceased communication, according to Parsons.
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Near the end of the announcement, Parsons noted that the Cowboys have yet to engage in any dialogue with his representative about a new contract. He then affirmed that he had formally requested a trade to team COO and co-owner Stephen Jones.
“As of today, the team has not engaged in any conversation with my representative concerning a contract. My representative has not made any demands regarding financial compensation, contract duration, or any other matters. Despite this, I remained silent, but after repeated jabs directed at me and all the stories being created, I have made a difficult decision: I no longer wish to play for the Dallas Cowboys. I have personally submitted my trade request to Stephen Jones.”
Despite this request, the Cowboys reportedly have no intention of trading Parsons, according to Diana Russini of The Athletic.
Parsons, 26, has one year remaining on his current contract. He is scheduled to earn $24 million in 2025 before becoming a free agent.
Since being selected by the Cowboys as the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Parsons has risen to prominence as one of the league’s premier defensive players. He has earned a Pro Bowl selection in each of his initial four seasons and has been named a first-team All-Pro twice.
Even amidst his contract situation, Parsons attended voluntary workouts in April to offer his support to the new head coach, Brian Schottenheimer. Parsons also reported to training camp, but has refrained from participating in practices due to his contract status.
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Friday’s trade request follows a day after Parsons posted a GIF on Twitter, suggesting that it would be his final season with the Cowboys. Prior to Parsons releasing his statement Friday, at least two Cowboys defenders expressed their support for the star pass rusher by changing their social media profile pictures to images featuring Parsons.
Star receiver CeeDee Lamb commented on the situation, urging the Cowboys to “simply compensate him appropriately” in a post on X.
