The Cowboys were not, obviously, in the Super Bowl this weekend, yet the team was very much the subject of rumor mill chatter coming out of New Orleans, as the NFL is now set to move full-on into the offseason. The new league year will begin in mid-March, but there will be plenty of angling and maneuvering happening before that.
And the Cowboys happen to be among the most persistent subjects of league speculation. That’s because the team not only needs to overhaul its current roster to get back to relevance after a 7-10 season and a coaching change, but for the second consecutive offseason, it has an elite player in need of a top-of-the-market contract extension.
Last year, it was quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. This year, it is pass-rusher Micah Parsons, who is under contract on his fifth-year option at $24 million, but is almost guaranteed to be getting a new deal in 2025.
But whether that deal will come in Dallas, or with someone else is, at least, something of a question in league circles.
Cowboys Had ‘Internal Discussions’ on Trade
That comes from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, who speculated on some of the big storylines the league will be facing this winter. One of those was Parsons’ future, and Rapoport started off by noting that Parsons has not said much about new coach Brian Schottenheimer, and was not happy with the fact that Mike McCarthy will not be back with the Cowboys.
Is all that a prelude to a trade?
“While there have been no trade talks, sources say there have at least been some internal discussions about whether to pay Parsons or trade him for a king’s ransom,’ Rapoport noted. “If the Cowboys are willing to listen, they may get it. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones told NFL.com in December that the team will study the wisdom of having so much money invested in so few players, but added: ‘I can’t imagine there’s a scenario where he’s not wearing a star on his helmet.’”
Cowboys reporters scoffed at the idea.
Longtime beat reporter Clarence Hill Jr. wrote on Twitter/X, “Micah Parsons is not getting traded. Stop the drama.”
And Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News wrote, “Cowboys not trading Micah Parsons. It makes no sense. Jerry Jones said the other night they have to take care of him financially. Teams talk about players all the time.”
CeeDee Lamb Wants Micah Parsons Back
The most notable reaction to the Parsons trade rumor, though, came from Lamb himself. He spotted the story on social media and immediately sounded off about it.
He wrote: “Y’all aren’t tired of this? Every offseason, top of the charts… Let’s just win ball games and that’s with 11! SMH”
Indeed, given the recent happenings in Dallas, with the shock trade of Luka Doncic from the Mavericks, there probably is not much appetite for the Cowboys trading Parsons, who has been a Pro Bowler in all four of his NFL seasons and has made three All-Pro teams. Parsons has totaled 52.5 sacks in 63 career games.
