The Dallas Cowboys open the NFL season two weeks from Thursday against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s still unclear whether Micah Parsons will be on the field, or if his contract negotiations and trade request will lead him elsewhere.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter joined The Pat McAfee Show to share what he expects to happen.
Here’s some of what Schefter had to say:
“It feels like they’re gonna put up with each other this year. And then, the Cowboys are gonna have the franchise tag and put the franchise tag on him, and then next offseason would be the offseason of the Micah trade. That one, of all the scenarios, feels to be the most logical today.”
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Over The Cap projects the franchise tag for a defensive end next offseason to be worth $26.535 million.
That value won’t make Parsons happy. He’s worth more than $40 million per year on the open market.
But if Parsons does indeed play out the 2025 season on the last year of his current deal, the only logical thing for Dallas to do next offseason is give him the franchise tag (assuming they don’t agree to a real extension with one another).
The Cowboys can’t let Parsons get away for free. Using the franchise tag allows them to keep him under their control until potentially finding a trade partner.
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Schefter’s speculation could create some awkwardness this year, though. If Parsons is truly unhappy but can’t land an extension now, his only real choice is to play out the campaign while being a bit ticked off.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones probably wouldn’t mind that as long as Parsons is on the field. But if this is really what happens, it likely means the saga in Dallas is a long ways from over.
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