Does Jake Ferguson contract extension help or hurt Micah Parsons deal?

The Dallas Cowboys made headlines on Sunday morning ahead of the team's first padded practice of training camp in Oxnard, California. When Cowboys Nation saw the headline, "Dallas Cowboys agree to contract extension with..." we all know what the hope was.

But, no, the team did not extend superstar defender Micah Parsons. They did, however, extend a promising offensive star in Jake Ferguson, who has been a safety blanket for Dak Prescott.

Ferguson had a down year in 2024, like most of the team, but he is hoping to bounce back in 2025 and return to the Pro Bowl form he showed during his breaking 2023 campaign.

MORE: Cowboys stars who still need contract extensions after Jake Ferguson's deal

The Cowboys and Ferg agreed to a four-year extension with $52 million in new money, including $30 million guaranteed. Following the news of his extension, many fans had the same question: Does this help or hurt Parsons' deal?

Dallas Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells and Jake Ferguson at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The answer is quite simple, but it's not anything sexy or necessarily what fans want to hear.

Ferguson's cap number for 2025 actually increases from $3.582 million to $3.982 million, and it has "no impact" on any Parsons deal, ESPN's Todd Archer says.

MORE: Jake Ferguson's fiancée Haley Cavinder gushes over Cowboys extension

The new deal makes Ferguson the seventh-highest-paid tight end in the league, so it's actually good value for Dallas.

And, if he can return to his 2023 form, the Cowboys will have gotten a steal.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson during training camp at the River Ridge Fields in Oxnard. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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