Cowboys' Jerry Jones, Micah Parsons Haven't Spoken Since Trade Request, Status TBD

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones provided updates on the team's current situation with defensive end Micah Parsons, who has issued a trade request due to a significant lack of progress toward a contract extension, among other issues.

In essence, Jones' remarks don't foreshadow good news that a deal can get done, to the point where he even said he hasn't spoken with Parsons since the trade request was issued.

Parsons released a lengthy statement on Friday explaining the details behind his trade request.

Parsons has made the Pro Bowl in all four of his NFL seasons. He's also a two-time First-Team All-Pro with 52.5 sacks, 112 quarterback hits and 256 tackles to his name.

Parsons has been making appearances at training camp, but he has not been participating, which was the case again Tuesday.

He's entering the final year of his rookie deal after Dallas picked up its fifth-year team option last season. He's due to make a base salary of $24,007,000, per Over the Cap.

Long, drawn-out negotiations are nothing new with Jerry Jones. The same thing happened last year with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who was a training camp hold out entering the final year of his rookie deal before he agreed to a four-year, $136 million extension.

Lamb offered his support for Parsons in this latest contract dispute.

The Cowboys hold cards in this case with Parsons being under contract for one more season, although he could hypothetically sit out games.

A Cowboys superstar has done that in the past. In 1993, running back Emmitt Smith held out of training camp and the first two regular season games. Dallas started the season 0-2, and Smith won the battle by being rewarded with the top running back contract in the league at the time (four years, $13.6 million). Smith won NFL MVP despite missing two games, and Dallas won the Super Bowl.

In the present date, it isn't clear if Parsons is going to start the season on time. Jones, for his part, isn't sure himself.

At this juncture, both sides have dug in their heels. It's unclear how this dispute ends, whether it's via a trade, a contract or a continued holdout into the season. But regardless, Dallas now has less than a month remaining until the beginning of the 2025 campaign, when the Cowboys will visit the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas would certain love its defensive superstar in that one to take on Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and company, but it's unclear if that's going to happen.