When Micah Parsons barrels through offensive lines and closes in on the quarterback, it feels like déjà vu for fans who watch Patrick Mahomes surgically carve up defenses. Two very different players. Two sides of the ball. But their effect is ominously the same. Pillars of a franchise, crafted for stardom, and impossible to replace in the minds of their teams. Mahomes received his franchise-life commitment up front from the Chiefs. And now, as Parsons keeps improving, there is increasing clamor in Dallas that he’s owed the same, before they miss their chance.
That clamor just became a heck of a lot louder, courtesy of Cowboys icon Michael Irvin. Appealing on his podcast, Irvin pleaded passionately to Jerry Jones: “I go back to Patrick Mahomes. I go back to Lee Steinberg… They negotiated essentially a lifetime deal, you see. So I don’t want this media to get between the agent and Michael and Jerry Jones already because I want them negotiating like Kansas City and Lee Steinberg. That’s what we need.” For Irvin, it’s not about guarding Parsons from harm after all, he’ll get an eighth figure in there somewhere. It’s about establishing a long-term model around him, the same way Kansas City did for Mahomes.
The Hall of Famer didn’t finish there. He implored Jones to tune out the media speculation and seal Parsons with a “forever contract.” Undoubtedly, with each gargantuan performance, Parsons’s market value edges ever closer to Nick Bosa territory, which calls for some urgent actions. Bosa’s five-year, $170 million contract renegotiated the pass-rusher market a year ago. And Dallas is still mulling over its possibilities, while Irvin views lost time as a risk they can’t help but take. “Let’s get Micah Parsons’s thing done,” he urged, citing it as the front office’s number one priority.
Irvin isn’t being emotional; he’s being book-smart. Mahomes inked his 10-year, $450 million contract in 2020, allowing the Chiefs to build contracts around him. While still maintaining a championship-level roster. That continuity allowed Kansas City to re-sign stars Chris Jones and Travis Kelce while massaging deals to accommodate changing cap needs. It’s that vision Irvin desires for Dallas. Lock up the core. And then smartly build around it. Parsons, throughout three seasons, has accumulated 40.5 sacks, two First-Team All-Pro appearances, and finished in the top three of DPOY voting annually. That’s not elite. Indeed, that’s generational. And better not take risks with that.
Cap storm brewing: How Micah Parsons’ deal could affect future
Getting Parsons isn’t necessarily about throwing dollars at a star. It’s about addressing the financial ripple effect. Dallas already faces looming decisions with two other franchise foundation pieces: quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb. Both owed gigantic extensions. And with the cap spreading only so far, something’s gotta bend.
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Lamb, who registered 101 catches for 1,194 yards and scored 6 touchdowns in 15 games in 2024, is already poised to reset the wide receiver market. His recent contract extension with the Cowboys is for 4 years at $136 million. Prescott, on the other hand, is in the last year of his $160 million deal. And they recently agreed to a record four-year, $240 million one. If Dallas sits around too long, Dallas’ asking price will increase far past Bosa’s record figures. Here’s where the math becomes ugly. That’s walking the tightrope, and hence Irvin is calling for action.
And the clincher: Dallas hasn’t won a Lombardi Trophy since 1995. That 30-year championship drought sits heavily with Irvin. “Man, we got the best fans in the world,” he said. For him, securing Parsons isn’t business as usual; it’s personal. It’s about providing Cowboys Nation with a reason to believe this era won’t conclude in another January of vain hopes. Dallas’ clock is ticking. And Jerry Jones, never afraid of the big move, now has one of his most critical choices yet to make.
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