Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says it's 'a team thing' when referring to Micah Parsons' contract situation
Jones said the Cowboys are 'trying to make this thing work' as Parsons continues to hold out

The Dallas Cowboys open up the 2025 season vs. the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles two weeks from Thursday, and their best player is still not practicing. Micah Parsons is in the midst of a highly-publicized contract holdout, as he awaits a historical deal which will make him the highest-paid pass rusher in NFL history.
With no movement on a new contract, Parsons requested a trade in the middle of training camp, claiming he no longer wants to be a Cowboy. With that said, Parsons has still been present on the sidelines at team events, such as open practice earlier this week, but it's hard to imagine he's in football shape with Week 1 right around the corner.
During a recent television interview on FOX News Channel's "FOX & Friends," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked straight-up how close the Cowboys are on getting a deal done with Parsons. Jones called Parsons a great player, and that this is a "team thing."
"Micah's a great player, not a good player, but a great player. He knows more than anyone that it's a team thing," Jones said. "And so, I know everybody is tired of hearing this, but you got to put this puzzle together so that you can have some other people out there playing with Micah. That's the art of the deal, and that's what we're trying to get done and we're trying to make this thing work. But we have all the appreciation for what he can mean for the years ahead. We're proud to have him."
Jerry Jones when asked on @FoxNews about how close the Cowboys are to getting a deal done with Micah Parsons pic.twitter.com/ckmJ9FqIJv
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 21, 2025
What does "it's a team thing" mean in this situation? Is Jones saying that you can't build a contender while paying out multiple record-setting contracts? Should Cowboys fans expect this saga to drag out several more weeks?
There's no doubt the Cowboys have a history of costing themselves money by agreeing to contracts too late. We saw it with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb last year, and Parsons this year. T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the most recent EDGE to reset the market, as his new $123 million contract averages $41 million per year.
NFL Media reported Thursday that "there's really been no talks whatsoever since Jerry and Micah spoke face-to-face way back in March," while new Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer "feels good" about Parsons being on the field with his teammates for Week 1. Tick-tock.