Micah Parsons’ Mysterious Absence from Cowboys OTAs Sparks Speculation—What’s Really Going On?

It’s hard not to shake your head when you watch the Dallas Cowboys stumble yet again on the contract front. Micah Parsons showed up for the first week of OTA workouts—you know, the voluntary stuff—earning praise from coach Brian Schottenheimer. But come Week Two? He was MIA. And can you really blame him? Taking risks without that elusive long-term deal locked down just doesn’t add up. The Cowboys keep fumbling this dance — dragging their feet, driving up costs, and shortchanging their star players on readiness. Sound familiar? It should. Just last year, Dallas waited way too long, then overpaid for CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, proving once again that the brass lacks a handle on managing their young core. If they’d been smarter, patient negotiations with Parsons would’ve paid off big time, saving millions and setting a better tone for the franchise. Instead, with Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt raising the financial stakes, the Cowboys risk not just the wallet but the season’s prep. This chronic stalling—probably fueled by Jerry Jones’s stubborn streak—has to be a key reason why Dallas hasn’t made an NFC Championship in three decades. Honestly, it looks like the front office’d rather feed the media frenzy than settle the score and let the team thrive in peace. LEARN MORE

The Cowboys continue to misplay the situation. They drag their feet. And the price goes up. And the player is less prepared when it’s time to go play games that count.It’s a ridiculous way of doing business. But the Cowboys keep repeating the pattern. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer praised linebacker Micah Parsons for participating in the first week of the team’s annual OTA sessions. For the second week, Parsons wasn’t present.Especially if the foot dragging lasts into camp and Parsons holds out and the Cowboys eventually and inevitably cave as Week 1 approaches.Our guess? He knows it. And he’d rather have the latest unsettled contract become the top story for sports media than to see his team benefit from the relative irrelevance of peace.

There are many reasons why the Cowboys have gone 30 years without an appearance in the NFC Championship. One very real reason is the chronic stubbornness of owner Jerry Jones to pay his core players sooner than later.Yes, the workouts are voluntary. And, no, Parsons shouldn’t volunteer to risk injury until he gets the long-term contract he should have gotten a year ago.It became obvious last year, when the Cowboys were on the front end of (again) waiting too long and then paying too much for receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott. Cowboys management is clueless when it comes to managing young talent.If they would have paid Parsons last year, it would have cost a lot less than million per year. If they would have paid Parsons immediately after the end of the season, the deal likely would have been closer to million than million. Now, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has set a new bar. Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt could push it higher before Parsons puts pen to paper.Regardless, the price will keep going up. And Parsons won’t be as ready for the regular season as he could have been.