Cowboys' Jerry Jones on Micah Parsons trade request: ‘Don't lose any sleep over it'

New York Times

5 days ago

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn't worried about star pass rusher Micah Parsons' trade request and said his message to concerned fans would be, 'Don't lose any sleep over it.'
'We're in good shape. This is negotiation,' Jones said Saturday at training camp, adding that he is not considering trading Parsons. 'I think the world of Micah. That's just the part of negotiation. I don't really place that with any seriousness.'
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The contract situation between Parsons and the Cowboys reached a breaking point this week before he requested a trade Friday. Parsons posted a lengthy statement on X expressing his frustrations with his ongoing contract negotiations and miscommunications over the status of his deal. In the statement, Parsons said the Cowboys were refusing to engage with his agent.
'Micah is a competitor,' coach Brian Schottenheimer said Saturday when asked if Parsons will be on the field in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. 'I hope to see Micah out there soon. When the business gets worked out, it gets worked out.'
Schottenheimer didn't go into specifics about the situation when asked about it before Saturday's training camp session, but he repeatedly said he had 'good conversations' with Parsons and others involved in the negotiations, and he doesn't think the dispute will be a distraction.
'Our guys are focused on what we're trying to build,' Schottenheimer said. 'As we get closer to a game week, it's exciting. We got the Rams coming in here next week. There are plenty of things for us to focus on. We're almost through the install.
'Our guys have a very singular focus, and that's getting better and getting ready to have a hell of a practice today.'
However, fans in attendance at training camp made the overhanging situation difficult to ignore. Some were seen with signs that read 'Sell the team!' and 'Pay Micah.' As Jones walked to the practice field, a 'Let's pay Micah!' chant broke out.
Cowboys fans at today's training camp practice pic.twitter.com/RXBFDjZPhO
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 2, 2025
Cowboys fans chanting 'Let's pay Micah!' as Jerry Jones walks out to practice pic.twitter.com/t8tBAaHj6j
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 2, 2025
Several of Parsons' teammates similarly rallied behind him amid the trade request. 'Just pay the man what you owe em,' Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb wrote in a post on X.
'I think it's good that our guys are loving and supporting each other. I think that's part of being on a team,' Schottenheimer said of the players' response to Parsons' situation. 'But I don't get caught up in that stuff.'
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Parsons has been on the field at training camp, including Saturday, though mostly as a spectator. A four-time Pro Bowler, Parsons is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
'The business side is the business side,' Schottenheimer said, noting he does not feel stuck in the middle of the contract dispute. 'We're not the only team in the league going through this. It's what happens with big business and elite players.'
(Photo of Jerry Jones: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)