Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons has not been shy about his desire to get a new deal done before the start of training camp. Parsons is entering the last year of his rookie contract, and the former Penn State star has proven that he is worthy of receiving a big-time payday. Parsons was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and has made the Pro Bowl all four of his seasons in the NFL.

He previously said that he didn’t need to make $40 million per year on his new contract, but after seeing deals that other players received this offseason, his thought process has changed. Parsons believes that the Cowboys waiting to work out a deal with him has “backfired.” “The market [was] set at $35 [million] and then it kind of backfired, because you look at the market and you see Maxx [Crosby] go, Maxx goes and gets 35.5, 36. And then you see guys that are older than you and you can say that your production and versatility matches what they’re doing,” Parsons said recently.

“And I would say I’m more in my prime than a lot of these other guys. They’re more in the second half of their career. So that’s the challenging part, man, just getting fully about what you’re worth.

I don’t really think it’s about the dollar, I think it’s about how much someone thinks you’re worth.” Micah Parsons was drafted by the Cowboys with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after starring at Harrisburg High and Penn State. He earned first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie after recording 20 tackles for loss and 13 sacks and has continued to be a difference-maker throughout his NFL career.

Parsons is participating in offseason workouts while he waits for a new contract and has emphasized that he wants to “be a Cowboy and be here.” With that said, Parsons also revealed that it’s important to him that a new deal is in place before training camp gets underway so that there is no concern of him holding out ahead of the 2025 season. “I mean, extremely important,” Parsons said. “I mean, you really see a lot of players struggle when guys aren’t participating in camp and they get off to a slow start.

I don’t want to get off to a slow start. “I want to hit the ground running and establish ourselves in this league and get some wins early in the season and be in rhythm. It’s going to be extremely important for me to get going and lead these guys.”