The Dallas Cowboys have still not reached a long-term agreement with superstar Micah Parsons, who became eligible for a contract extension last year. Parsons is slated to hit free agency next March, so the clock is certainly ticking for the Cowboys.

And you know what? Dallas does not have to look any further than Pittsburgh to see what could happen if things don’t get taken care of properly. Fellow edge rusher T.J. Watt is at odds with the Steelers over his own deal, and now, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that teams are considering making a trade pursuit of the former Defensive Player of the Year.

Now, will Pittsburgh actually trade Watt? Probably not, but the fact that rival clubs are legitimately mulling over the possibility indicates that things are getting very sticky in Steel City.

The Cowboys cannot allow things to get to that point with Parsons, who is four years younger than Watt and may still have not reached his peak. This in spite of the fact that the former first-round has accumulated 52.5 sacks in just four NFL seasons.

It should be mentioned that Dallas has done a fine job addressing its star players in the recent past. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs were all extended. Things may have gotten hairy in a couple of those instances, but the Cowboys ultimately got the job done.

So yes: there is every reason to believe that Jerry Jones and the front office will eventually come through and provide Parsons with a fresh contract. But until it happens, Dallas fans will be biting their fingernails, and understandably so. After all, Parsons is probably the Cowboys’ best player.

Watt has gotten so frustrated with the Steelers that a trade could actually be on the table. The thought of that potentially occurring with Parsons should scare Dallas into crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s of a contract extension with the perennial Pro Bowler. Now.