NFL Agent Says Jerry Jones' Handling of Micah Parsons Put Cowboys in 'Serious Trouble'

At least one NFL agent reportedly believes the way Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones handled contract negotiations with Micah Parsons prior to trading him damaged the franchise's relationship with player agents across the league.

According to NBC Sports Mike Florio, a "long-time agent" texted him one day after Parsons' Thursday trade to the Green Bay Packers: "You have no idea how damaging this episode is for the Cowboys as it relates to the entire agent community."

The agent continued, per Florio: "We all talk and nobody would ever willingly steer their clients to that team. Make no mistake, they've never been a honest or good organization, but since [Jerry] so brazenly disrespected and went behind the back of a top player's top agent, they are in serious trouble moving forward.

"This is really one of those 'time to take the car keys away' moments."

The Cowboys dealt Parsons to the Packers in exchange for two first-round picks picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark on Thursday, just under a month after the star pass rusher said in a statement that he had requested a trade.

The linebacker celebrated the new contract with a Friday post thanking his agent David Mulugheta.

Jones' reported attempt to negotiate with Parsons without Mulugheta had previously been a sticking point in negotiations.

Parsons wrote when announcing his trade request on Aug. 1 that Jones had initially discussed an extension with him without his agent present, and that the Cowboys had then failed to reach out to Mulugheta for further negotiations.

When asked the day after Parsons' public trade request about communicating directly with the player rather than going through his agent, Jones answered, per ESPN's Todd Archer: "My experience has been the agent is not the one that solves the problems you have when you're executing what you said you would do in the contract. So I like to deal directly with the player when it's of this nature."

Shortly after Thursday's trade, Parsons reportedly agreed to a four-year, $188 million deal with the Packers to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Cowboys were reportedly prepared to make Parsons the highest-paid non-QB back in April, per Clarence Hill of All City DLLS. That offer apparently being made directly to Parsons and not through his agent seems to have been the tipping point in the four-time Pro Bowler ultimately signing that deal in Green Bay instead.