Micah Parsons with $35 Million Annual Contract: Cowboys 'Bargain' as Top-Paid EVER?

The accomplishments and the accolades are coming. And eventually for Micah Parsons, an emerging face-of-the-franchise Cowboys stud? Being the highest-paid defensive player in football history is coming, too.

FRISCO - There is no particular ceiling in the NFL on what a team will pay a special quarterback. So why should there be a lid on what a team will pay a special defensive player?

Right around the corner will come the Dallas Cowboys' answer to that pricy question ... with Micah Parsons as the test case.

The Cowboys are working to juggle their salary cap finances in order to retain the services of a handful of standout players. Parsons isn't a pecking-order priority in the same way others are; QB Dak Prescott needs to get done because a restructured extension actually helps Dallas' cap. Trevon Diggs needs to get done because he's a free agent next spring, while the Cowboys have contractual control over Micah through the 2025 season.

But in time? The Athletic is right in saying that as a performer, Parsons will be prioritized right there with Dak and will become the second-highest paid Cowboys player of all time ... second only to Prescott.

Oh, and that Micah - who we project to be an MVP candidate - will become the highest-paid defensive player of all-time ... with a projection of a massive $35 million annually.

“As long as he continues to produce like he has his first two seasons, he’s on track to become the NFL’s highest-paid defender,” writes colleague Jon Machota. “There’s no way the Cowboys can allow him to walk out the door if he continues to consistently wreck games and make their defense one of the best in the league.''

The good news is that the Cowboys front office is acutely aware of all of this - yes, surely even the $35 million APY number. After all, the highest-paid defensive player is currently the Rams' Aaron Donald at $31.6 million APY. It simply stands to reason that in due time, Parsons will usurp Donald ... at the pay window, and, the Cowboys hope, on the field.

There are other candidates for this eventual honor. Among vets, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt is going to get paid. Nick Bosa of the Niners is going to get paid. But Parsons, 24 - who presently makes about $5 million per season - is going to continue stacking up accomplishments and accolades to add to his two consecutive seasons of Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections and his Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

The accomplishments and the accolades are coming. And eventually for Micah Parsons, an emerging face-of-the-franchise Cowboy? Being the highest-paid defensive player in football history is coming, too.

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