OXNARD, California — It is virtually unattainable to stroll by the Dallas Cowboys‘ coaching camp grounds in Oxnard when the followers are within the stands and never hear the “Pay Micah” chants directed at their famous person pass-rusher, who watched Monday’s motion with minimal expression from the sidelines after which beelines off the sector at follow’s conclusion.
Due to contentious contract negotiations between All-Professional edge rusher Micah Parsons and the Jones household, Parsons is holding in, that means he stands off to the facet in sweatpants whereas the remainder of the crew practices.
What modified over the weekend was Parsons stopped sporting his No. 11 follow jersey over his sweats after hitting a breaking level in his contract talks. That led to an officially submitted trade request to Cowboys COO and EVP Stephen Jones. The wardrobe change did not hassle first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, in his personal phrases, however Parsons did return to sporting his follow jersey over his sweats on Monday, the tenth follow of Cowboys coaching camp.
“Not an enormous deal,” Schottenheimer stated Monday. “We wish all of our guys to be the identical, after which once more, there’s normally a motive if a man’s not in that. However once more, for essentially the most half, we’re a crew. We will at all times act like a crew and normally you will see all of them in gear.”
A much bigger change in Schottenheimer’s eyes with Parsons holding in is the remainder of the 26-year-old’s Dallas teammates lacking out on reps in opposition to arguably the NFL’s greatest edge rusher.
Schottenheimer particularly cited the expansion 2024 first-round choose left deal with Tyler Guyton skilled going up against Parsons this time a year ago when speaking about what Dallas is lacking out on in 2025.
“The primary one which jumps off the movie might be that… selfishly for us from an offensive standpoint, shouldn’t be having that elite pace edge rusher coming off the nook,” Schottenheimer stated.
“However, [2025 second-round pick] Donovan [Ezeiruaku] has performed a fantastic job. [Veteran] Dante Fowler is having a fantastic camp, so it is not like we’re in need of guys which have elite pace coming off the sting and bending corners.”
Parsons’ defensive teammates — Professional Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs, security Juanyeh Thomas and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown — confirmed assist by changing their Twitter profile pictures to Parsons himself. That vitality stays the identical at follow on Monday.
“Yeah, clearly that is my canine. I really like him, and I would like him to make, clearly hope he can keep,” edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland stated.”That is my canine, however I do not need to say an excessive amount of about it as a result of clearly it is not in my palms. However we love him right here.”
One would possibly suppose younger teammates like Kneeland, a 2024 second-round choose, would lowkey relish the additional reps obtainable in coaching camp to make an impression for brand spanking new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Imagine it or not, that is not one thing crossing anybody’s thoughts. They simply need Parsons re-signed and again on the sector alongside them.
“I believe clearly we would like him right here,” Kneeland stated. “He is a brother. He is been right here his complete profession, clearly my complete profession. Yeah, so it is all, , how the playing cards play out. Time will inform.”
Vetaran security Malik Hooker sounded the a part of any individual who had been seen a holdout (or hold-in) or too and appreciated Parsons’ presence.
“Me personally, I strive to not get into all that as a result of simply the enterprise facet of it there’s so much that is required,” he stated. “Plenty of speak that goes in there, so I type of strive to not pay any thoughts to it. Micah is a particular participant. We love him. He is an enormous a part of what we’re constructing right here, and he is an enormous a part of what we already constructed right here. So it is undoubtedly a fantastic factor to have him on the market.”
As for the elephant in California, the potential for Parsons to be traded? That is being left alone within the nook. Dallas’ teaching workers is working by the “hear no evil, see no evil, do no evil” philosophy in relation to contemplating Parsons in one other NFL team’s uniform.
“We’re nonetheless planning on transferring Micah round and placing him in all of the spots that we see him and utilizing our fronts the way in which we need to see it,” Schottenheimer stated. “We go about our enterprise every single day. We focus within the second and once more like I stated … I count on Micah to be right here.”
Micah Parsons drama is just the latest Cowboys circus act from Jerry Jones, whose business is NFL headlines
Cody Benjamin
