Packers’ Micah Parsons wanted to stay with Cowboys, agent says

Micah Parsons had never planned to sit out this season and would have played for the Dallas Cowboys in Thursday’s regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles if he had not been traded to the Green Bay Packers last week, his agent David Mulugheta told ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday.

Mulugheta said the Cowboys were never told that Parsons would not play.

“Never,” Mulugheta said. “I mean Micah loves the game too much. He was going to play no matter what.”

In fact, Mulugheta contended that Parsons’ first choice was always to remain in Dallas.

“I think the most important thing is Micah wanted to be a Cowboy,” Mulugheta said. “He grew up cheering for the Cowboys, wore the blue and white at Penn State, wore it in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. He wanted to be a Cowboy, and we did everything we could for him to remain a Cowboy.”

“To expect somebody like Micah Parsons to be one of the best defenders in the NFL and also a great lawyer when it comes to contracts, I think it’s a bit unfair. His job is to go out there and chase quarterbacks, and our job is to go out there and chase commas for him. I’m not sure exactly why it went this way, but we were always prepared and open to negotiating a contract with the Jones family.”

David Mulugheta, agent for Micah Parsons, on ESPN’s ‘First Take’

However, Mulugheta said the Cowboys would not negotiate with him since owner and general manager Jerry Jones believed he had reached an agreement on a deal directly with Parsons following a March 18 meeting between the two of them.

“If you’re a [then-]25-year-old football player and your boss, who happens to be the most powerful person in the NFL, starts talking about contracts, it’s hard for you to end that conversation,” Mulugheta said. “So they had a conversation. Micah nodded his head out of respect.

“Obviously there’s a power dynamic that’s a little different there. One guy’s the owner of the team and the GM, and the other one is Micah Parsons, a young 25-year-old football player. So, I’m not sure if there was miscommunication there by the time Micah walked out, but at no point did Micah believe that he was negotiating a contract.”

Jones has contended otherwise and believes he had a handshake agreement with Parsons. The Cowboys have negotiated directly with players in the past, which is not explicitly in volitation of the collective bargaining agreement.

Mulugheta said that he reached out several times before and after that meeting to inquire about negotiations but that the Cowboys weren’t interested in talking. Sources told ESPN that Mulugheta never made an offer to the Cowboys.

“To expect somebody like Micah Parsons to be one of the best defenders in the NFL and also a great lawyer when it comes to contracts, I think it’s a bit unfair,” Mulugheta said. “His job is to go out there and chase quarterbacks, and our job is to go out there and chase commas for him. I’m not sure exactly why it went this way, but we were always prepared and open to negotiating a contract with the Jones family.”

The Packers signed Parsons to a four-year, $188 million contract extension, with $120 million guaranteed at signing, sources told ESPN.

Jones said the Cowboys’ offer was for the largest guaranteed money for a non-quarterback in NFL history, and a source told ESPN it was “north of $150 million.” At the time of the supposed agreement, the $40.5 million average per year from the Cowboys would have made Parsons the highest-paid defensive player based on average per year.

The biggest difference in the offers from the Cowboys and the Packers was length. The Cowboys’ offer was a five-year extension, which in Mulugheta’s mind could have cost Parsons $60 million to $70 million in future earnings.

“That’s why I say the devil is in the details,” Mulugheta told ESPN.

Parsons practiced with the Packers on Monday. He appeared to be a limited participant because of a back injury that Mulugheta said has been treated with anti-inflammatories and could require additional treatment for Parsons to play in the Packers’ season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

“What I will tell you, is that Micah is going to do everything he possibly can to get on the football field, the same way he did when he was in a Cowboys jersey,” Mulugheta said.

Mulugheta’s partner at Athletes First, Trevon Smith, represents Cowboys receiver George Pickens, who is in the final year of his contract. Mulugheta said any ill feelings created by the Parsons situation would not impact Pickens’ chances of remaining in Dallas.

“There’s nothing personal here. It’s a business transaction as far as the contract’s concerned,” Mulugheta said. “So if George Pickens does what we expect him to do, which is be one of the best receivers in the NFL this year, we’ll have those conversations with the Cowboys. And if they’re open to having that dialogue with us and negotiate a long-term deal, then we’d love for George Pickens to be a star with the star on his helmet. If that’s not the case, then we’ll see what else is out there for him.”