The Dallas Cowboys have been known as America’s Team for decades, but it’s been a long time since they’ve felt that way. General Manager and owner Jerry Jones is currently in a contract dispute with star pass rusher Micah Parsons. Re-signing Parsons should be a no-brainer, but this isn’t the first head-scratching move by Jones.
The Cowboys haven’t been to an NFC Championship game since 1996. Every year, they build a strong roster, something falls apart, and they fall short. They’ve been through six head coaches and several franchise record breakers, but they never get any further along. The puzzle is unsolved, and there’s one reason why.
The most recent issue in Dallas is superstar Micah Parsons requesting a trade. The Penn State product was taken 12th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and has dominated the league ever since.
In 63 games, Parsons has 52.5 sacks, 256 tackles, and 177 quarterback pressures. He’s a former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, a two-time first-team all-pro, and a four-time Pro Bowler. He also broke the Cowboys’ rookie sack record at 13.
Parsons is an elite football player who comes from a strong draft class. He’s managed to cement himself as a top player in that class, but he’s not paid like one. Trevor Lawrence, Ja’Marr Chase, Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater, and Pat Surtain were all taken in the same round as Parsons, and they’ve all gotten a bag. Why hasn’t he?
Jerry Jones made sure to pay his other stars as well. In 2024, Dak Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million contract, and CeeDee Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million extension. These two have been instrumental in Dallas’ success, but Parsons is arguably more essential than both.
With the 2025 season only weeks away, Jerry Jones has seemingly burned a bridge with his star pass-rusher. Parsons could play Week One, but will he want to at this point?
Jones has made several mistakes as the Cowboys’ GM, most of which have come in the last decade alone. He jumped the gun on signing Ezekiel Elliott in 2019, offering the running back a six-year $90 million extension. Elliott’s contract was massive, and it didn’t last long.
Elliott only reached 1,000 rushing yards once after that before his production dropped off, and he was released by the Cowboys in 2023. What Jones thought was a step ahead turned out to be a huge blunder.
In 2018, Jones acquired star wideout Amari Cooper from the Oakland Raidres. Cooper had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Dallas and became Prescott’s number one guy. In 2021, Jones was faced with the issue of paying him, so he traded the 27-year-old to the Cleveland Browns instead.
Cooper went on to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Browns before age caught up to him. Even at 30 years old, he’s still a reliable weapon for any team. What did Jones get in return? A fifth-round pick and a sixth-round swap.
For the last two NFL offseasons, Jones has seemingly slept through free agency. In 2024, he had an opportunity to pursue running back Derrick Henry, and instead let the Last King slip through his fingers. Henry rushed for nearly 2,000 yards with the Baltimore Ravens, while Dallas had a painfully average run game.
2025 came around, and Jones didn’t pursue an affordable veteran receiver like Davante Adams or Cooper Kupp. He instead made a splash trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire George Pickens.
While Pickens will make a good duo with CeeDee Lamb, he’ll be expecting a new contract soon. How will Jerry handle that when the time comes?
Jones has a habit of overlooking quiet talent and making eye-catching moves that might not be in the team’s best interest.
The Cowboys have been mediocre for three decades. No matter what the roster looks like, Jones isn’t willing to take that next step. He hangs onto head coaches for too long, and when he replaces them, it’s not much of an upgrade. He moved on from Mike McCarthy this year and replaced him with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
Jones lets opportunities pass, and the Cowboys will struggle to get over the hump as long as he’s holding all the control. Even if he hands the GM role to his son, Stephen, Dallas will at least get a younger mind pulling some strings.
It’s entirely possible that Micah Parsons sticks around in Dallas. If he doesn’t, it could be the biggest blunder of Jones’ career. It’s hard to dispute the businessman that is Jerry Jones, but the GM is supposed to have his finger on the NFL’s pulse. He’s simply not doing that.
Jerry Jones has become synonymous with the Dallas Cowboys, and that will never change. His time as the GM/Owner has had ups and downs, but his three Lombardi trophies solidify him as a legend.
The NFC East is arguably the toughest division in football, and the Philadelphia Eagles have a stranglehold on it. The Washington Commanders are quickly climbing the ranks, and the New York Giants are finally making improvements. The Cowboys are the only team that seems to be stagnant.
Jones’ tendencies bring smiles to 31 other fanbases. The Cowboys are one of the most disliked teams in the NFL, so seeing them fall short never gets old. It seems that won’t change until he hands the reins to someone else.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
