Cowboys COO Stephen Jones has firm stance on Micah Parsons trade rumors

Micah Parsons is the Dallas Cowboys best defensive player, and COO Stephen Jones doesn't see him going anywhere.

Nov 28, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) celebrates after a sack during the third quarter against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of house keeping to do this offseason in order to improve their roster and put the franchise back on the path toward contention.

One rumor that has persisted over the last few weeks and months has been whether or not star pass rusher Micah Parsons will be back in 2025, and if the Cowboys are considering taking calls on a trade for the three-time Pro Bowler.

After all, with his rookie contract coming to an end, Parsons will be due a big-money extension. Not to mention, the Cowboys have already tied up a good amount of money in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb extensions, affecting their ability to go out and bring in talent via free agency.

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That said, according to Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, sending away a player of Parsons' caliber is not a way to cultivate a winning football environment.

"Obviously we're totally all in on Dak and CeeDee," Jones told NFL.com reporter Ian Rapoport. "but after that, then you still shape things, including Micah. But Micah's a great player. You don't do well in this league letting guys like Micah, usually, leave the house."

Jones even took that one step further, telling Rapoport that he "can't imagine there's a scenario where (Parsons) is not wearing a star on his helmet."

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons walks onto the field during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Ultimately, Parsons' future in Dallas will come down to whether or not the two sides can come to an agreement on his extension. Given his stature, Parsons is projected to earn upward of $37 to $38 million per year over five years, making him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL, and further restricting Dallas' ability to acquire talent in other areas.

Then again, that could be well worth it for a three-time All-Pro with 245 tackles, 49 sacks, 59 tackles for loss, and 108 quarterback hits in just four seasons.

And based on the Cowboys history of extending their top players off of rookie deals, it would seem that it is a matter of when, and not if, they squash the trade rumors and sign Parsons for the long term.

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