FRISCO, Texas — Micah Parsons has been nothing short of generational since joining the Dallas Cowboys, the 12th-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s been a game-wrecker in every sense of the word and, as such, it’s a no-brainer that the Cowboys would make the move they did on Wednesday — exercising the fifth-year option on his contract
The deadline to pull this trigger is Thursday, May 2.
This move guarantees Parsons, a three-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher in his young three-year career, will remain under contract through the 2025 season. As for when he and the Cowboys will potentially get a deal done, the 24-year-old made it clear this offseason that he’s perfectly fine waiting for All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott and record-setting All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to land their respective extensions.
“I do know they’ve got to get CeeDee Lamb done,” Parsons said in February. “I think that’s the priority right now, but if they’re ready to talk about a deal and get a deal done, I’d be super excited. I’m ready to be a Cowboy for life. This is the team I wanted to be with [pre-draft]. This is the team that I want to win a championship with, and what’s meant for me is what’s meant for me.
“I’m not gonna rush the process. I’m just gonna enjoy the process and keep working until it’s time.”
Absent an extension for Parsons prior to the start of the 2025 season, the fifth-year option would pay him a salary a little south of $21.5 million.
It was a draft day trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that helped facilitate the selection of Parsons in 2021.
Having racked up 40.5 sacks in his first 50 games, third-fastest to that tally in NFL history (having surpassed Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor in that regard), behind only Curtis Greer (41.5) and Mark Gastineau (54.5), Parsons is a menace to offenses.
He has also led the league in quarterback pressures on multiple occasions, and these are unreal numbers when also considering he’s not been asked to do full-time work at defensive end at any point in his career.
All told, it’s likely Parsons will eventually become the highest-paid player in the history of the league, but exercising his fifth-year option gives the Cowboys time to work on locking in the other two-thirds of their Big 3 before pushing all of their focus toward the “Lionbacker”.
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