The Dallas Cowboys prolonged one in all their stars Sunday, simply not the one followers needed them to pay.
At Cowboys coaching camp Saturday, Dallas followers serenaded proprietor Jerry Jones with “Pay Micah [Parsons]” chants. The EDGE, in fact, is about to play on the fifth-year possibility of his rookie contract this season.
Jones should not have been listening. He gave tight finish Jake Ferguson a brand new contract as a substitute. Dallas and the 26-year-old pass-catcher agreed to a four-year, $52M contract extension, by way of NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. This transfer appears head-scratching.
Parsons has received the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the 12 months and earned two first-team All-Professional nods for the reason that Cowboys took him with decide No. 12 within the 2021 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old EDGE additionally completed second in Defensive Participant of the 12 months voting in the course of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Ferguson, in the meantime, is strong however not elite. In three seasons with the Cowboys, the 2022 fourth-round decide has made one Professional Bowl and has by no means completed with greater than 761 receiving yards in a season.
An extension for Parsons will devour future cap area. The Cowboys could also be fearful about that after giving quarterback Dak Prescott (4 years, $240M) and vast receiver CeeDee Lamb (4 years, $136M) long-term offers in 2024.
Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt signed a profitable three-year, $123M extension on July 17, making him the league’s highest-paid non-QB. Parsons might command the same contract.
If cap area is Dallas’ major concern, nevertheless, why would it not lengthen Ferguson? He is now set to be the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid TE.
The Cowboys waited to increase Lamb and Prescott simply earlier than the beginning of the 2024 season. They could be doing the identical with Parsons.
The star defender has mentioned, “Possession is all the time gonna make [contract negotiations] drag out.”
Regardless, the Cowboys ought to’ve paid Parsons earlier than Ferguson. That is a a lot greater precedence for the group.
