Micah Parsons made it clear Tuesday that skipping the voluntary offseason program, including organized team activities, had nothing to do with his contract. He said he wanted to let his body heal and has his own way of doing things in the offseason.
Yes, he wants a contract extension, but the Cowboys edge rusher also knows where he stands in the pecking order.
Parsons has two years left on his rookie deal, including the fifth-year option, while quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb are entering the final year of their contracts.
“I’m patient. Patient is a virtue,” Parsons said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’m waiting my turn. Let CeeDee go get whatever. Let Dak get whatever.”
With a $2.989 million base salary this season, Parsons is one of the most underpaid players in the NFL. The All-Pro has become one of the top defensive players in the NFL, and eventually, the Cowboys will pay him like it.
This week, Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with an annual average of $35 million.
Parsons said he expects to reset the market, topping Jefferson’s per year average.
“I mean, yeah,” he said.
The Cowboys currently are in a financial crunch with Prescott and Lamb expected to receive top-of-the-market deals at their positions. Lamb is holding out of the mandatory minicamp as he seeks his money sooner than later.
The Cowboys currently have around $12 million in cap space.
“I kind of know where the money is,” Parsons said. “It’s not like I see the Cowboys with $90 million in cap space.”
He also knows by waiting, his price is only going to go up, and the Cowboys have a bad habit of waiting too long to extend the contracts of their best players. They are going to do it with Parsons, too.
“This market is going to just jump up, and the cap goes up again next year,” Parsons said. “They’re talking about these contracts might for a high-caliber player might be up to $40 million by then.”