Cowboys Nation should take Dak Prescott's past advice amid

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) walks off the field after the game at Bank of America Stadium.

Allow me to take a deep, deep, deep breath before kicking off this article… Okay, here we go.

Why are we doing this? Why are we suddenly going into panic mode thinking that the Dallas Cowboys might really get rid of Micah Parsons the upcoming offseason when they engage in negotiations for a long-term deal? Let me start by saying, I really am not buying into any of it.

In case you missed what I’m talking about, let me catch you up to speed. On Sunday morning, before the Cowboys’ 30-14 win over the Carolina Panthers, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport published a story in which Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones claimed “”We love Micah, I can’t imagine there’s a scenario where he’s not wearing a star on his helmet.”

However the story was later framed along the lines of “Dallas hasn’t ruled out trading Parsons away.” While technically true, that’s quite the stretch of what Jones said and meant.

I understand Jones didn’t come out and said, Nick Saban style, “I’m not going to, so quit asking!” but in his defense (and trust me, I’ve been highly critical of Jones, including pointing out whenever his comments come off as lies to fans), he did little to warrant the conversation that’s been sparked since then.

In fact, Jones said “You don’t do well in this league letting guys like Micah, usually, leave the house.”

Now granted, he prefaced that by separating Parsons from the bucket in which Dak and CeeDee find themselves in: “Obviously we’re totally all in on Dak and CeeDee, but after that, then you still shape things, including Micah.”

Not an ideal quote from Stephen. I’ll give you that. Even leaving the door open is something you could roll your eyes at when it comes to arguably the best defensive player in football. But remember Dak Prescott’s quote from last offseason? Cowboys Nation should take it as advice for their own wellbeing.

“I stopped, honestly, listening to things (Jerry) says to the media a long time ago,” Prescott told reporters back in August amid his, sometimes feisty, contract negotiations. “It doesn’t really hold weight with me.”

That’s for good reason. The Cowboys’ front office, Jerry and Stephen alike, constantly made off-putting comments amid the Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb negotiations earlier this year. Jerry said Dallas was in no rush to get Lamb back in training camp. They constantly suggested paying them would keep them from spending elsewhere, which has mostly been proved untrue by other NFL teams in similar spots that have remained big spenders in free agency.

Jones’ latest comments on Parsons, which to me feel like what you would expect from just about any NFL executive as far as evaluating every option while still expressing a strong desire to keep the guy they’re about to exchange overhands with at the negotiating table, even resulted in Parsons facing questions about it following a two-sack performance.

“I understand how that business side goes,” Parsons said. “There are no hard feelings in this business, whether I’m here or anywhere else. Obviously I’ve stated that I want to be here. But at the end of the day, I understand the business side.”

Naturally, those comments have made the whole story even louder, and now it feels like it’s the 2023 offseason all over again, when really, this is kind of a non-story. At least in my eyes.

Make no mistake about it, it’s easy to see that everything is possible whenever a player such as Parsons has to negotiate a long-term deal. But these kind of comments aren’t anything new around Dallas. Not to mention, and I insist, what Jones said this time doesn’t even seem that bad. But even if, ideally, you would’ve wanted the Cowboys exec to leave no doubt what the franchise’s plans are, you’ve got to remember how the team’s leadership office operates.

I don’t agree with how the negotiations with Dak and CeeDee were handled in 2024 and I full heartedly believe they hindered their own salary cap management. However, I’m not buying into the storyline of Parsons potentially being traded away. We’ve been through enough of this to know chances are they’ll pay up their superstar, even if it takes them until the 2025 preseason to make it happen.

So keep Prescott’s words in mind, don’t put that much weight on the drama just yet, and honestly, maybe not even until the 2025 season kicks off. A lot will be said from here until Parsons’ deal is in place, very little will be worth paying attention to.