Cowboys' Micah Parsons Calls Guaranteed HC Contracts 'Scam' After McDaniels Firing

Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons thought the firing of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels illustrated how NFL players continue to get a raw deal.

The Raiders announced Wednesday they were moving on from McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.

Parsons responded to a post noting how much outstanding money is now on the franchise's books for its former coaches:

Las Vegas famously signed Jon Gruden to a 10-year deal reportedly worth around $100 million in 2018. He resigned in October 2021 amid a scandal tied to leaked emails in which he used inflammatory and derogatory language.

Now, McDaniels is out less than two full years into what was a six-year pact.

It's easy to sympathize with Parsons. Fully guaranteed contracts are basically the norm in every major American sports league except the NFL, which is also the league where the players face perhaps the most short- and long-term health risks.

Unfortunately for the two-time All-Pro and his peers, there's little to indicate the pendulum is shifting.

Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watson, who both received fully guaranteed deals with their current teams, continue to be the exceptions to the rule. The Athletic's Kalyn Kahler reported last November the NFL Players Association alleged NFL owners were colluding to prevent guaranteed contracts like Watson's five-year, $230 million agreement from happening again.

Parsons is eligible to negotiate an extension with Dallas at the end of the 2023 season, and it seems reasonable to assume he'll become the highest-paid defensive player in the league whenever he actually signs.

If he wanted a totally ironclad contract that was due to pay out regardless of his employment status, though, the dynamic edge defender would need to consider a transition to coaching.