Generally, NFL drama is saved for the offseason when teams and players haggle over contracts, guaranteed money and potential trades are discussed. It seems as if 2025 will be the exception to the rule in the NFL, as Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin requested a trade on Thursday.
On Friday, the drama ramped up a notch with DE Micah Parsons’ tenuous relationship with Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys. Just days after the Cowboys' owner continued to say things that could unnecessarily cause conflict
with his star player, Parsons is reportedly mulling taking ‘drastic measures,’ according to Diana Russini:
BREAKING: The Micah Parsons-Cowboys relationship has deteriorated to the point where the star pass rusher is considering drastic measures which could include a trade request or even a declaration that he is severing his relationship with the team, per multiple league sources… pic.twitter.com/7Yujmv4JQ2
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 1, 2025
Now, there are two ways to view this situation.
First is what one might consider the “best case scenario” for Dallas fans. This is just the next step in a negotiating ploy from Parsons. Push the envelope a bit with Cowboys management, try and rally public support to your cause, and hope that this latest move forces a better deal from Dallas.
The “worst case scenario,” however, is probably something Cowboys fans do not want to contemplate.
But this might be the sign of a broken relationship, and if so, it is hard not to consider what role the recent comments from Jones played. During the press conference to open training camp, Jones not only referenced time that Parsons missed last year due to injury, but he threw some jabs at other Dallas stars, such as Dak Prescott and Trevon Diggs.
Then, days later, Jones responded to a group of fans changing “pay Micah” by drawing another comparison.
“I heard it light, but not compared to how I heard them say, ‘Pay Lamb [last year],’” Jones said last Sunday, drawing comparisons to last year’s contract standoff with CeeDee Lamb. “That was a faint little sound compared to the way they were hollering last year, ‘Pay Lamb.’ ... Whoever’s not in, you can count on a few hollering that.
“But it was a big, loud chant last year on Lamb.”
Perhaps this is the Dallas owner’s own way of negotiating.
If so, it does not seem to be working.
