OXNARD, Calif. — Micah Parsons said he was going to be in California for training camp even if a new contract wasn’t signed. And he was true to his word, running out onto the Staybridge Suites Oxnard River Ridge practice fields Tuesday at 11:43 a.m. PT. The All-Pro edge rusher was in helmet, jersey and shorts, joining his teammates for stretching before the Dallas Cowboys’ first camp practice.
Micah Parsons is here pic.twitter.com/Qj3xjna4KW
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 22, 2025
He did not participate in individual or team drills. However, he did spend some time with reporters after practice providing the latest on contract negotiations.
And it seems pretty clear that Parsons and the Cowboys are not close to finalizing a new deal.
“There’s really not much movement,” Parsons said. “I want to be here. But at the end of the day, they sign the checks, like always. Let’s see if they want me to be here at the end of the day.”
Parsons said his agent, David Mulugheta, has reached out to the Cowboys. He believes it’s now up to owner and general manager Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones to return the call. Neither has spoken to Mulugheta about Parsons’ contract.
“At some point another grown man has to be willing to reach out themself,” Parsons said. “Communication works both ways. They gotta want to do it on their part.”
Cowboys DE Micah Parsons said he’s dealing with back tightness. “It’s something that I feel is going to hold me back, so I just need to rehab.”
Parsons said his agent has reached out to the Cowboys and now it’s up to Dallas to return the call pic.twitter.com/iizgfCqdVO
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 22, 2025
Parsons also shared that he’s not completely healthy. He’s dealing with back tightness that he will rehab so he can be 100 percent for the season opener.
“I’m doing this for myself and my teammates,” Parsons said about attending camp. “This isn’t for Jerry. This isn’t for Stephen. This is for (my teammates). … They need to see me out here putting in the work, not at home. … This is my turn to lead this defense and I plan on taking full advantage of that.”
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt, 30, signed a three-year, $123 million contract extension last week, making him the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback at $41 million per season. Parsons, who is four years younger than Watt, views himself as the league’s top edge rusher, so it’s unlikely that he will be accepting a lesser deal.
Is he discouraged that it has taken this long?
“Honestly, yeah,” Parsons said. “When you go around the league and you see these other teams taking care of their best guys, T.J. got taken care of, Maxx (Crosby) got taken care of, Myles (Garrett) got taken care of, and he’s got two years left on his deal. You see a lot of people in our league getting taken care of and you wish you had that same type of energy.
“I don’t take it personally, I just don’t understand.”
(Photo: Jon Machota / The Athletic)