Dallas Cowboys chief working officer and co-owner Stephen Jones raised some eyebrows when he appeared to depart the door open relating to the membership presumably buying and selling star pass-rusher Micah Parsons this offseason by way of current feedback Jones made to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Shortly after Dallas’ 30-14 win in opposition to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday that improved the Cowboys to 6-8, Jones texted Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning Information and insisted he “didn’t” say the membership may make Parsons out there forward of the 2025 NFL Draft.
A November report shared that “the hypothesis round Parsons [had] already began, rooted in the concept that buying and selling him would convey a treasure trove of draft picks to assist” the Cowboys top off on youthful and less-expensive expertise after the club signed each vast receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott to profitable extensions forward of this season. Just lately, Jones particularly mentioned he felt groups “do not do properly on this league letting guys like Micah, normally, depart the home.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio subsequently talked about that Jones’ wording was “simply sufficient to make people wonder if the Cowboys may do the bizarre” and take calls on Parsons, a 25-year-old who is simply under contract by subsequent season and will change into the league’s highest-paid defensive participant every time he indicators his subsequent deal.
“I perceive how that enterprise facet goes,” Parsons mentioned after he tallied a pair of sacks within the win over Carolina, per Charean Williams of Professional Soccer Speak. “Hear, no exhausting emotions on this enterprise whether or not I’m right here or wherever else. Clearly, I’ve said how I needed to be right here. However on the finish of the day, I perceive the enterprise facet, and I put in a whole lot of work. I play exhausting, too. Clearly, if sides can’t conform to these sorts of issues, it occurs like that. However I’m simply blissful to be right here, and I’m simply going to be taking part in exhausting whereas I’m right here.”
As of Monday morning, the NFL’s website gave the Cowboys lower than a one-percent probability to make the playoffs. Parsons and Co. will attempt to ignore exterior noise and give attention to what they’ll management as Dallas prepares to host the 8-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday night time. On Monday, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Cowboys as four-point underdogs for that matchup.
“If I’m right here for the following 5, six years, I’m going to maintain taking part in exhausting. Then, too, ain’t actually nothing going to make a distinction. Micah going to play exhausting,” Parsons added.