With the start of the 2025 NFL season just a week away, the ongoing and often contentious contract dispute between Dallas Cowbows owner Jerry Jones and superstar linebacker Micah Parsons is nearing a critical juncture. Will Jones adhere to Parsons’ request to negotiate in good faith with his agent, or will Parsons succumb to the […]
With the start of the 2025 NFL season just a week away, the ongoing and often contentious contract dispute between Dallas Cowbows owner Jerry Jones and superstar linebacker Micah Parsons is nearing a critical juncture. Will Jones adhere to Parsons’ request to negotiate in good faith with his agent, or will Parsons succumb to the pressure of ownership and play out the final year of his current deal?
Former NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton expects to see the latter happen, because, as Newton sees it, the Cowbys’ 26-year-old All-Pro linebacker has no leverage. At least unless he stands on “bidness” and calls Jones’ bluff by actually sitting out regular-season NFL games, thus costing himself game checks.
“The thing is this, I don’t think Micah Parson has leverage. I don’t think he has leverage,” Newton said on Thursday’s First Take on ESPN. “What Jerry Jones has shown himself to be in an unbelievable businessman. He has the most profitable sports organization in the world. In the world. … Well Jerry Jones has shown his hand. On the Stephen A. Show, he said: ‘We’ve got (Parsons) for three years,’ meaning, we can franchise tag you for two of those years. You’re still under contract this year if we really want to be petty.
“We’ve seen what Jerry Jones is capable of doing. We’ve seen it with Emmitt Smith, we’ve seen it with Ezekiel Elliott, we’ve seen it with a plethora of players,” Newton continued. “Now the question really comes down to: Micah Parson, do you got it in you to really stand on bidness as we call it? Because if you hold out, cool. Now the thing about holding out is it still comes down to the number one key in all of business, what’s your leverage? And I don’t think Micah Parsons has a lot of leverage in this case to demand what he’s asking for.”
Of course, actually holding out would be a big step. But he’d hardly be the first Dallas Cowboys superstar to try that particular negotiation tactic with Jones. Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith did just that in 1993 when he sat out the first two games of that season before Jones ultimately buckled and agreed to make Smith the NFL’s highest paid running back at the time.
“Let’s be specific about this: he doesn’t have leverage at the moment,” ESPN firebrand Stephen A. Smith responded. “He will if he sits out Game 1 and Game 2 and they’re losing because their defense stinks. He’ll have a little bit of leverage then. Jerry Jones has been in that place before, Emmitt Smith in 1993.”
Whether or not Parsons ultimately makes that call depends on what happens over the next seven days. The Cowboys open the 2025 NFL season Sept. 4 on Thursday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl LIX champions Philadelphia Eagles.
Category: Football
