Parsons requests trade out of Dallas amid contract negotiations
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Superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons requested a trade on Friday amid stalled contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys.
"Yes I wanted to be here. I did everything I could to show that I wanted to be a Cowboy and wear the star on my helmet," Parsons said. "Unfortunately, I no longer want to be here."
Among the reasons Parsons listed for his desire for a trade were "shots taken at me for getting injured," "narratives created and spread to the media about me," and being "held to close-door negotiations without [his] agent present."
Parsons has been vocal about his desire for a new deal heading into the season as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
As The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported earlier on Friday, the team is refusing to engage with Parsons' agent following an apparent misunderstanding between Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in the spring.
Parsons has been an elite talent at the heart of the Cowboys defence since the team selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
After totaling 13 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles as a rookie, Parsons earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honours and was named First-Team All-Pro.
In his four seasons in Dallas, Parsons has been named to four Pro Bowls, three All-Pro teams and finished in the top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting three times.
The 26-year-old has also seen players at his position take home record-breaking deals this off-season, with Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns signing a four-year, $160 million deal in March after a trade request, and Pittsburgh Steelers rusher T.J. Watt topping that mark with a three-year, $123 million deal signed in July.
"I don't know if there's a correct way to handle it, to be honest with you," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said at the start of training camp. "I will say that I think he deserves to get paid. I think he should get paid, and, ultimately going off the history of what I've seen, he will get paid. Hopefully, it's sooner than later."
Parsons was frustrated but hopeful of a deal when he reported to camp earlier in July, but the situation may have deteriorated further since then.
"When you go around the league and you see these other teams taking care of their best guys, I seen T.J. [Watt] gotten taken care of. [Las Vegas Raiders star] Maxx [Crosby] got taken care of. Myles [Garrett] got taken care of, [and] he's got two years left on his deal," Parsons said after practice on July 22. "You see a lot of people around the league taken care of, and you wish you had that same type of energy."
"I feel like I'm the best at what I do," Parsons said. "You can argue whoever, but stats, numbers don't lie. The consistency is there, and the availability is there."
The Cowboys participate in the NFL season opener on Thursday, Sept. 4, when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the defending-champion Eagles in prime time.