Stephen Jones denies Cowboys would trade Micah Parsons, who said he understands the "business side"

Micah Parsons said he understands the "business side" of the NFL when asked about the Cowboys possibly considering a trade of the edge rusher in the offseason. But executive vice president Stephen Jones denied saying the Cowboys would consider trading Parsons.

It all stemmed from an NFL Network interview with Jones last week when he said, “Obviously we’re totally all in on Dak [Prescott] and CeeDee [Lamb], but after that, then you still shape things, including Micah. But Micah’s a great player. You don’t do well in this league letting guys like Micah, usually, leave the house." Jones told Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News on Sunday that he "did not" intend his comment as leaving the door open to a potential trade of Parsons.

Parsons, though, still had to answer a question about the possibility in the locker room after a two-sack game in a decisive 30-14 win over the Panthers.

“I understand how that business side goes,” Parsons said. “Listen, no hard feelings in this business whether I’m here or anywhere else. Obviously, I’ve stated how I wanted to be here. But at the end of the day, I understand the business side, and I put in a lot of work. I play hard, too. Obviously, if sides can’t agree to those types of things, it happens like that. But I’m just happy to be here, and I’m just going to be playing hard while I’m here. If I’m here for the next five, six years, I’m going to keep playing hard. Then, too, ain’t really nothing going to make a difference. Micah going to play hard.”

Parsons became eligible for a contract extension after last season. He is making a base salary of $2.989 million with a salary cap hit of $5.434 million this season and under contract for the fifth-year of $21.324 million for next season.

He could command a contract that will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, topping the contract Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson signed this summer that pays him $35 million a year. Prescott, the Cowboys' quarterback, has the highest annual average in NFL history at $60 million a year, and Lamb is the second-highest paid receiver at $34 million a year.

Jones already said the Cowboys will have a "really, really tight" offseason again after not spending much in the 2024 offseason.