The Dallas Cowboys did it to themselves. With their full lack of urgency in extending All-Professional edge-rusher Micah Parsons, the Cowboys could have price themselves thousands and thousands.
On Thursday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers and edge T.J. Watt had agreed to a historic three-year, $123 million extension value $41M yearly, making it the most important non-quarterback contract in NFL historical past.
Watt’s deal units a baseline for Parsons to demand in negotiations, and it is possible greater than what the Cowboys would have owed him if they’d labored out a deal final offseason, when Parsons initially wished an extension.
“We wished to get the contract final yr,” the two-time first-team All-Professional not too long ago advised skilled wrestler The Undertaker on his “Six Toes Below” podcast.
“Clearly, possession is at all times gonna make it drag out, make it extra difficult than it needs to be,” Parsons added.
Earlier this week, Parsons downplayed the impact of edge-rushing friends Watt, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby finalizing extensions earlier than him, telling PennLive.com’s Nick Farabaugh, “I am simply going to get mine it doesn’t matter what.”
Whereas the 2021 first-round choose was at all times going to reset the edge-rusher market, that quantity has solely grown prior to now yr. And the Cowboys have themselves in charge.
The lackadaisical method to extending their very own gamers is nothing new. Final offseason, Dallas waited until late August to conform to phrases on a four-year, $136 million extension with extensive receiver CeeDee Lamb, ending a coaching camp and preseason holdout.
Then, the Cowboys handed quarterback Dak Prescott an enormous four-year, $240 million extension on the first Sunday of the 2024 NFL regular season.
It isn’t shocking that Dallas would drag its ft in negotiations with Parsons, however it’s disappointing that it is repeating previous errors.
It was at all times going to price the Cowboys a fairly penny to maintain Parsons, however now it’s going to price them much more.
