Latest news with #OpeningDayCeremony
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dallas Cowboys make Jake Ferguson highest-paid tight end in franchise history
Dallas Cowboys training camp kicked off just one day ago in southern California. As the team prepares for its first year under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the franchise signed one of its top young players for the future. Tight end Jake Ferguson and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $52 million extension with $30 million guaranteed. This deal makes Ferguson the highest-paid tight end in Cowboys history. Dallas drafted Ferguson in the fourth round, No. 129 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He started eight games as a rookie and took on a larger role in his second season. In 2023, Ferguson set career-highs in catches (71), receiving yards (761) and receiving touchdowns (five) and made his first Pro Bowl. He was held scoreless in 2024 as the Cowboys offense struggled without franchise quarterback Dak Prescott in the lineup for much of the season. Ferguson may be the highest-paid tight end in Cowboys history, but this deal makes him the seventh-highest-paid tight end in the league by average annual value (AAV). Per OverTheCap, Ferguson slots in behind Cleveland's David Njoku ($13.68 million AAV) and ahead of Chicago's Cole Kmet ($12.5 million). Ferguson was entering the final year of his rookie deal prior to this extension. The Cowboys state this extension will free up $1.8 million in salary cap space for 2025. Jake Ferguson stats Ferguson assumed a larger role in the Cowboys' offense in 2023 following Dalton Schultz's departure. Here's a look at his stats year-over-year: Micah Parsons contract latest Cowboys fans are hoping the team's top young star gets an extension done soon as well in edge rusher Micah Parsons. They voiced their displeasure during Dallas' "Opening Day Ceremony" at training camp, shouting "Pay Micah!" to owner Jerry Jones as he took the stage to address the crowd. Like Ferguson before his extension, Parsons is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He's been one of the best defenders in the league since his rookie season in 2021 and has been at least a second-team All-Pro in three of his first four seasons. Parsons has reported to training camp but previously spoke about his frustration with the negotiations. He stated his representation tried to get an extension done last offseason but the franchise said they were focusing on deals for Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb instead. Dallas hasn't come together on a deal since the end of the 2024 season. This comes while other top edge rushers like Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt all signed long-term deals. "I will never understand it," Parsons said on former WWE wrestler The Undertaker's podcast, Six Feet Under. "We wanted to do the contract last year – then you go out there and perform again. You would think, 'Alright, we'll get it done early, we know some guys are about to get re-paid.' There's Myles [Garrett], Maxx [Crosby] is going, so you would think, 'Hey, let's get ahead of that.' "You can't want us to take less (now) because you're the one that decided to wait."
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dallas Cowboys fans shout at Jerry Jones to pay Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons has a significant (and loud) ally on his side during his ongoing contract extension dispute with the team: Cowboys fans. Fans attending the Cowboys' "Opening Day Ceremony" at training camp let team owner Jerry Jones know exactly where they stood on the Parsons issue on Saturday, July 26. As Jones, flanked by cheerleaders, took the stage to give a speech to the energetic crowd in Oxnard, California, multiple fans shouted, "Pay Micah!" The demand was clearly audible in a video that Jon Machota of The Athletic posted to social media site X. Parsons is still awaiting a contract extension from the Cowboys as he enters the 2025 season on an expiring rookie contract. Saturday's heckling made it clear that the fans are more interested in Jones getting a deal done than in hearing his promises about an improved roster. MICAH PARSONS CONTRACT: Jerry Jones comments on negotiations: 'You can get hit by a car' Micah Parsons' contract dispute, explained Parsons is set to enter the fifth-year option season, the last year of his rookie contract, in 2025. The four-time Pro Bowler is one of multiple star players across the NFL who have voiced discontent about his current contract ahead of the 2025 season. "I will never understand it," Parsons said in an interview with WWE wrestler Mark Calaway, better known as The Undertaker. "We wanted to do the contract last year – then you go out there and perform again. You would think, 'All right, we'll get it done early, we know some guys are about to get re-paid.' There's Myles [Garrett], Maxx [Crosby] is going, so you would think, 'Hey, let's get ahead of that.' "You can't want us to take less (now) because you're the one that decided to wait." Garrett, Crosby and now Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt are all fellow edge rushers who have signed massive contract extensions this offseason – Garrett and Watt's deals have each surpassed $40 million in average annual value. As Parsons pointed out, the longer the Cowboys wait, the higher his price will rise as other players' deals push new boundaries for the edge rusher market. Parsons has reported to the Cowboys' mandatory offseason activities – June minicamp and the start of training camp this month – while still making clear his desire for a new contract. MICAH PARSONS: Cowboys edge rusher questions contract standoff Jerry Jones' comments on Micah Parsons negotiations Jones himself shared his stance on the ongoing dispute during a media availability session at Cowboys training camp earlier in the week. "Just because we sign him doesn't mean we're going to have him," Jones said. "He was hurt six games last year, seriously. (Note: Parsons missed only four games last year with a high ankle sprain.) We've signed, I remember signing a player for the highest-paid at the position in the league and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year in (quarterback) Dak Prescott. "Contracts are four, five years, OK? There's a lot of water under the bridge if you step out there and do something in the first two or three. You can get hit by a car. Seriously." Given the reaction to the Cowboys owner's training camp appearance on Saturday, it seems the team's fans are less than satisfied with the explanation.
