Cowboys Make $21 Million Decision on Micah Parsons’ Contract

Getty Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons

The Dallas Cowboys are ensuring that Micah Parsons sticks around for at least two more years by activating a key contract clause. Parsons is the face of the Cowboys’ defense and arguably the team’s best player, so it’s a no-brainer to keep him around.

First-round rookie deals are all built with a fifth-year team option available. On April 24, the Cowboys triggered Parsons’ fifth-year deal for 2025, according to ESPN reporter Todd Archer.

“The Cowboys have officially picked up Micah Parsons’ fifth-year option for 2025 at a cost of $21.324 million, per source. The price is determined by the position where he took the most snaps in 2023, which was defensive end. Ultimately, team hopes to sign him to long-term deal,” Archer wrote on X.

As Archer explains, this is more of insurance than anything else. Parsons’ second NFL contract will pay him even more than $21.3 million a season, and Dallas should be willing to fork out the cash.

But for now, the Cowboys can at least know that they have full control over him for another two years. If things break bad for one reason or another, they now have the ability to trade him next offseason.

Cowboys Quiet Offseason Due to Future Parsons Extension?

If Parsons plays on his fifth-year option in 2025, the $21.3 million salary will be more than the first four years of his deal combined. However, this first contract will be a fraction of what he’ll be paid in the years after.

Dallas has said they are preparing for that deal. On April 16, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones spoke on the process of extending Parsons as well as QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb.

“It doesn’t mean it happens overnight,” Jones said. “But when you’re wanting to sign players like Dak (Prescott) and Micah (Parsons) and CeeDee (Lamb), then you have to hold money back if you want to have a realistic chance of signing those guys.”

That might explain the quiet offseason, but there are also variables at hand. Namely, Dallas has an extensive amount of dead cap hit limiting their budget. For 2024, Spotrac estimates $17 million in dead cap space and a good chunk of that will carry into the 2025 budget.

CeeDee Lamb in Line for Massive Contract

As mentioned above, Parsons isn’t the only player set for a big extension. Lamb will be paid a gargantuan amount going forward, it’s really just a matter of when the extension happens.

Over the Cap estimates that Lamb was worth about $26 million during the 2023 season. Considering the elite WR market is being set around $30 million, that range is likely where Lamb will fall.

However, ESPN’s Todd Archer did make an interesting point that Lamb and Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson are both waiting on extensions. The two WRs both want the top salary or close to it. So both could be waiting for the other’s deal to drop.

“There’s a staring contest going on at the moment,” Archer wrote on X. “Neither one wants to go first unless they’re blown out of the water.”

Either way, both Lamb and Jefferson will be rolling in the cash soon.