New Report Details the Numbers of Jerry Jones’s Imaginary Deal With Micah Parsons

Kristen Wong | Aug 28, 2025

Here are the details of the contract extension Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thought he and Parsons had agreed on earlier this year. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Micah Parsons saga is seemingly far from over, with the star pass-rusher and the Cowboys still engaged in a tense standoff just a week away from the start of the 2025 NFL season.

A new ESPN report reveals that not only are the Cowboys not making any offers to Parsons at this time, but they are warming up to the idea of dealing the star and "appear willing to at least listen" to teams about a potential trade.

There's a lot of hedging going on in general, yet the report did provide something more substantial: the exact terms of Jerry Jones's imaginary deal with Parsons.

Jones said earlier this month that he thought he and Parsons had struck a deal during a meeting way back in March. Parsons, however, adamantly stated they were just chatting about hypotheticals and didn't regard it as a "formal negotiation."

So, what were the details of this hypothetical contract in Jones's mind? A five-year extension worth roughly $202.5 million that averages $40.5 million per season, per ESPN.

That would still put Parsons just below Steelers' T.J. Watt, who is currently the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with a three-year, $123 million deal (averaging $41 million per year) he signed in July.

As the Parsons saga drags on, it would appear the Cowboys are changing tune on trading their star and exploring all their options right now. Then again, this could just be typical Jerry.

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