The Cowboys’ star pass-rusher draws a line
Jerry Jones wants more from Micah Parsons – and not just on the field. As the Dallas Cowboys prepare to usher in a new era with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Jones has made it clear Parsons, their All-Pro edge rusher and future face of the defense, needs to step up as a leader.
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The two-time All-Pro has been present for most of the Cowboys’ voluntary offseason workouts, something he’s historically skipped.
“For me, I’ve still got to learn the playbook,” Parsons said Tuesday night at the Cowboys’ charity Home Run Derby, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “I’m not so much of an iPad person, where I can just keep learning. I’ve got to walk through it.”
He made it clear he’ll continue to show up, at least mentally, for the team this offseason.
“Maybe so much I might not be on the field part of it, but I’ll be there learning it, so that way, at the least, I’ll be ready for Week 1,” he said.
While Parsons’ early participation is a welcome change, there’s still one very large elephant in the room: his contract. The 24-year-old is widely expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, and his absence from full-contact work signals he’s not willing to risk injury until that extension is signed.
On Tuesday, Parsons didn’t exactly threaten a holdout, but he didn’t need to.
“I mean, it’s extremely important [to complete a deal by camp],” Parsons said. “You really see a lot of players struggle when guys aren’t participating in camp and they get off to slow starts. I don’t want to get off to a slow start. I want to hit the ground running and establish ourselves in this league and get some wins early in the season and be in rhythm. It’s going to be extremely important for me to get going and lead these guys.”
While Jones has said a deal is “close,” he also admitted that “nothing” gives him confidence that Parsons will sign before training camp begins in July. At the same time, the Cowboys owner has repeatedly claimed he’s in no rush to finalize the deal-even if that sentiment seems out of step with how critical Parsons is to the team’s future.
