Dak Prescott Says Micah Parsons 'Deserves to Get Paid' With Cowboys Contract Extension

The ongoing extension negotiations between the Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons has been a major storyline surrounding the team during training camp, especially given that the superstar edge-rusher has been present but hasn't been a participant.

On Thursday, starting quarterback Dak Prescott—plenty experienced himself when it comes to lengthy contact negotiations with the organization—offered his two cents on the matter.

"I don't know if there's a correct way to handle it, to be honest with you," he told reporters. "I will say that I think [Parsons] deserves to get paid. I think he should get paid, and, ultimately going off the history of what I've seen, he will get paid. Hopefully, it's sooner than later."

The Cowboys and Jerry Jones have trended toward waiting on extensions for star players rather than getting them done early. The downside is that they often are left reacting to the market, which continuously rises, rather than beating the market with earlier deals.

Prescott's four-year, $240 million extension, for instance, has an NFL-high $60 million average annual value. At the time CeeDee Lamb signed his four-year, $136 million extension, it followed Justin Jefferson resetting the wideout the market (Ja'Marr Chase has since reset it).

And the Cowboys have done it again with Parsons.

Already this offseason, Maxx Crosby (three-year, $106.5 million), Myles Garrett (four years, $160 million) and T.J. Watt (three years, $123 million) have reset the edge-rusher market. Garrett ($40 million) and Watt ($41 million) now hold two of the three highest non-quarterback AAVs in the sport, and Parsons undoubtedly is seeking—and worth—something in that range.

Jones' argument for waiting on long-term extensions is seemingly that players can get hurt at any time.

"Just because we sign him doesn't mean we're gonna have him. He was hurt six games last year. Seriously," Jones told reporters regarding Parsons, though it was actually four games. "... Contracts are four, five years, OK? There's a lot of water under the bridge if you step out there and do something in the first two or three. You can get hit by a car, seriously. So there's a lot to look at over a lot of years that could make a big difference. Have you ever heard of any clubs committing to players and then they didn't pan out after they committed to them? We have."

If ever there was a player you'd accept that risk on, however, it's Parsons, who has been a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro in his first four seasons. Despite missing four games last year, Parsons still had 12 sacks, and now has an impressive 52.5 for his career.

In Dallas, the back-and-forth of extension stalemates—and the public nature of them—has become old hat.

"I mean it's an each and every year conversation whether it's myself, Zack Martin, Lamb, now Parsons," Prescott told reporters. "It's a part of it in a sense. Now is it something that I wish any of us were going through? Absolutely not but I think Micah's doing a helluva job with it being here. He's a great teammate, showing up obviously not just on the field and being focused, but whether it be in the camaraderie, hanging out, dinner."

But those contract stand-offs aren't fun for anybody, whether they are directly or indirectly involved.

"For Micah, man, he knows I love him and being in this situation, obviously playing this media game with Jerry is not the best. It's not fun. It's not recommended," Lamb told reporters. "But as for Micah, he knows what he brings to this table, honestly, for this team, for himself. And he should get what he deserves and I'm not indulging in any of the craziness they got going. But I do want Micah to get paid soon."